Digestive System Flashcards
What is digestion?
mechanical and chemical breakdown of foods into forms that the body cells can absorb
What is the alimentary canal?
organs forming a pathway extending from the mouth to the anus
What are the food movements?
- churning: mixes substances
- peristalsis: moves substances through esophagus to stomach
What is the function of the mouth?
initiating digestion using chewing and saliva
What is another way to say chewing?
mastication
What is the function of the teeth?
decrease size of food particles
How many teeth do we have?
32 teeth
What is the function of salivary glands?
makes saliva
What is the pharynx and its function?
throat
- passageway between mouth to esophagus
What is the function of esophagus?
tube connecting mouth to stomach
- peristalsis
What is the function of the stomach?
receives food from esophagus and continues to breakdown food with gastric juices
- propels food to small intestine
What is rugae?
folds in the stomach
What quadrant is the stomach in?
upper left
What is the function of the liver?
makes bile to breakdown fats
What quadrant is the liver in?
right upper
What is the function of the gallbladder?
stores bile
- connects to duodenum
What is the function of the pancrease?
makes enzymes that aid in digestion
- connects to duodenum
What is the function of the small intestine?
absorbing nutrients
What are the sections of the small intestine?
- duodenum
- jejunum
- ileum
What is the large intestine and its function?
colon
- absorption of nutrients
- feces formed from solid waste
What are the sections of the large intestine?
- cecum (connects to ilium)
- ascending colon
- transverse colon
- descending colon
- sigmoid colon
What is the apprendix?
thin tube joined to the large intestine
What is the function of the appendix?
reservoir for beneficial bacteria
- part of immune system in young child
- helps fight disease
What are the essential nutrients?
- carbohydrates
- proteins
- lipids
- vitamins
- minerals
- water
What are the 3 main nutrients in foods and drinks?
- carbohydrates
- proteins
- fats
What is the purpose of carbohydrates?
broken down to glucose for energy
What are the functions of a lipid?
structural component of cell membrane
- energy
What is the function of protein?
structure, function, regulation of the body’s tissues and organs
- tissue repair and growth
What is the function of vitamins?
normal growth and development
- fat-soluble
- water-soluble
What is the function of minerals?
keeps bones, muscles, heart, and brain working properly
- found in bones and teeth
What are examples of fat soluble vitamins? What are the functions?
A: for vision, reproduction, bone health, immune system, skin
D: for bone strength, calcium absorption, immune system
E: immune system, flushes toxins
K: blood clotting, bone health
What is the benefit of fat-soluble vitamins?
long-term storage
- doesn’t need to be constantly replenished
Where are fat-soluble vitamins stored?
fatty/adipose tissue
What are examples of water-soluble vitamins?
- vitamin C
- vitamin B complex (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 12)
What are water-soluble vitamins?
- not stored in the body
- enter bloodstream and eliminated through urine if not needed
- regular intake to avoid deficiency
What is appendicitis?
inflammation and infection of the appendix
What is cirrhosis?
chronic liver disease leading to scarring of the tissue
What is the cause of cirrhosis?
medication, alcohol use, hep B or C
What is cholelithiasis?
gallstones
What is colitis?
inflammation of large intestine
- viral or bacterial
What is constipation?
difficult defecation
- increase in fiber can help
What is crohn’s disease?
inflammatory bowel disease
- affects small intestine
What is gastritis?
inflammation of the stomach
