Digestive System Flashcards
The digestive system is responsible for the _______ and ________
digestion and absorption of food and water and the elimination of wastes
Digestive system is also a repository for _______
fecal borne infections
The two openings, the mouth and the anus are the source of ________ respectively
stomach and anal purge
_______ are materials forced out of these openings as a result of pressure buildup within the body
Purges
The pressure may be caused by _______ in the abdominal cavity
gas or fluid accumulation (edema)
Knowledge of the location of digestive organs is important during _______, when liquid contents of various organs are removed under vacuum
aspiration
Key areas of concern during aspiration in digestive system
- Stomach
- Cecum (ascending colon)
- Hepatic Flexure (liver)
- Sigmoid Flexure (descending colon)
- The cavity behind the lips
- The initial mechanical breakdown of food takes place by chewing
- Enzymes in the saliva begin the chemical break
Mouth
- The _______ is at the back of the mouth cavity
- Provides the swallowing mechanism for food
Pharynx
Swallowed food passes from the pharynx to the stomach through this membranous tube
Esophagus
Muscular pouch where further digestion takes place
Stomach
Muscular contractions (involuntary) mix acid and ______ with the food to further break it down
digestive enzymes
From the stomach, partially digested food is passed into the ______, the first segment of the small intestine.
duodenum
An organ with a small diameter tube and 6 meters or 20 feet long
Small intestine
3 sections of the small intestine
- Duodenum
- Jejunum
- Ileum
In small intestine, most digestion is completed here and the nutrients are absorbed through the ________
small intestine wall
The ileum empties into the _______, the first segment of the large intestine
cecum
This large organ lies just under the diaphragm in the upper right quadrant
It processes digested food and produces the many different materials required by the body and also processes various wastes from cellular metabolism
Liver
Breakdown products of hemoglobin are normally excreted by the ______ into the bile ducts
liver
______ is then dumped into the small intestine where it aids in digestion
Bile
When the liver malfunctions, the accumulation of bile pigments in the blood produces ________
jaundice
- Pear-shaped reservoir for bile on the lower surface of the liver*
- The common bile duct connects the ______ to duodenum
Gall bladder
- An elongate glandular structure-ling under the stomach
- It produces digestive enzymes that enter the duodenum
Pancreas
The distal portion of the large intestine is about ________
1.5 meters or 5 feet long
Food not thoroughly digested in the small intestine is transferred here, where it is further processed by bacteria, dehydrated and excreted as a _______
stool
The large intestine is comprised of the _______
- Cecum
- **The colons (ascending, transverse and descending)
- **Rectum and anal canal
