digestive system Flashcards
What is the digestive system
breaks down the food you eat into nutrients needed for metabolic proccess,such as making ATP,and rids the body of materiels that cannot be used,such as fiber.
how does the digestion system work
chewng breaks down food into smaller peices easy,for enzymes to acces; then enzymes chemically digest food into nutrients that are activetly transported into blood and deliverd to cells around body.
why does the digestive system do this.
its essential for providing the body with the energy and building blocks it requires to maintain life.
Q: What is the function of the alimentary canal?
A: The alimentary canal performs digestive functions like ingestion, digestion, absorption, and defecation, while propelling food along its length.
Q: What are the two main groups of organs in the digestive system?
A: The two main groups are the alimentary canal and the accessory digestive organs.
Q: What are the accessory digestive organs?
A: The accessory digestive organs include the teeth, tongue, and several large digestive glands.
Q: How do the accessory digestive organs assist digestion?
A: The accessory organs assist digestion in various ways, helping the digestive process.
Q: What is another name for the alimentary canal?
: The alimentary canal is also called the gastrointestinal (GI) tract or gut.
: What is the alimentary canal?
A: The alimentary canal is a continuous, coiled, hollow muscular tube that extends from the mouth to the anus.
What are the organs of the alimentary canal?
: The organs of the alimentary canal include the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine.
How long is the alimentary canal in a cadaver and in a living person?
A: In a cadaver, the alimentary canal is about 9 meters (30 feet) long, but in a living person, it is shorter due to muscle tone.
Q: Why is food material inside the alimentary canal technically considered outside the body?
A: Food material is technically outside the body because it only contacts the cells lining the tract, and the tube is open to the external environment at both ends.
Q: What analogy helps explain the relationship of the alimentary canal to the body?
A: The alimentary canal can be compared to an elongated doughnut. Just like a finger through a doughnut hole isn’t inside the doughnut, food inside the canal isn’t technically inside the body.
Q: What is the function of the mouth in digestion?
A: The mouth, or oral cavity, is where food enters the digestive tract.
Q: What structures protect the mouth and define its boundaries?
A: The lips (labia) protect the anterior opening, the cheeks form the lateral walls, the hard palate forms the anterior roof, and the soft palate forms the posterior roof.
Q: What is the uvula?
: The uvula is a fleshy, fingerlike projection that dangles from the posterior edge of the soft palate. Helps with speech by controlling airflow and sound production.
Aids in swallowing by preventing food and liquid from entering the nasal cavity.
Stimulates the gag reflex, which helps prevent choking.
Produces saliva, keeping the throat moist.
Q: What is the vestibule in the mouth?
A: The vestibule is the space between the lips and cheeks externally and the teeth and gums internally.
Q: What is the oral cavity proper?
A: The oral cavity proper is the area contained by the teeth.
Q: What occupies the floor of the mouth?
A: The muscular tongue occupies the floor of the mouth.
Q: What are the attachments of the tongue?
A: The tongue has bony attachments to the hyoid bone and the styloid processes of the skull.
Hyoid bone: The tongue is attached to the hyoid bone by muscles, which help support its movement. The hyoid bone is located in the neck and doesn’t directly connect to other bones but is important for tongue mobility and swallowing.
Styloid processes: Muscles that control the tongue’s movement also attach to the styloid processes of the skull (located just below the ear), allowing for the movement of the tongue within the mouth.
Q: What is the lingual frenulum?
A: The lingual frenulum is a fold of mucous membrane that secures the tongue to the floor of the mouth and limits its posterior movements.
Q: What condition is caused by an extremely short lingual frenulum?
A: Children with an extremely short lingual frenulum are often referred to as “tongue-tied” because it restricts the movement of the tongue.
Q: How can the “tongue-tied” condition be corrected?
A: The condition can be corrected surgically by cutting the frenulum.
Q: What are the palatine tonsils?
A: The palatine tonsils are paired masses of lymphatic tissue located at the posterior end of the oral cavity.
The palatine tonsils are two oval-shaped masses of lymphoid tissue located on either side of the oropharynx, at the back of the throat. They are part of the immune system and help defend against infections by trapping bacteria and viruses that enter through the mouth and nose.
When infected or inflamed, they can cause tonsillitis, leading to symptoms like sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and swollen tonsils. In severe or recurrent cases, they may need to be removed through a tonsillectomy.
Q: Where is the lingual tonsil located?
A: The lingual tonsil covers the base of the tongue, just beyond the palatine tonsils. The lingual tonsil is located at the base of the tongue, near the back, just in front of the epiglottis. It is made of lymphoid tissue and plays a role in the immune system by helping to detect and fight infections in the throat and mouth. Unlike the palatine tonsils, the lingual tonsil is not as easily visible without special instruments.
: What role do the tonsils play in the body?
The tonsils, along with other lymphatic tissues, are part of the body’s defense system.
Q: What happens when the tonsils become inflamed and enlarged?
A: When the tonsils become inflamed and enlarged, they can partially block the entrance into the throat, making swallowing difficult and painful.
What happens when food enters the mouth?
When food enters the mouth, it is mixed with saliva and masticated (chewed).
How do the cheeks and lips assist in chewing?
A: The cheeks and closed lips hold the food between the teeth during chewing.
Q: What is the role of the tongue during chewing?
The tongue continuously mixes food with saliva and initiates swallowing.
Q: When does the breakdown of food begin
A: The breakdown of food begins before it even leaves the mouth.
Q: Where does food pass after entering the mouth?
A: Food passes posteriorly into the oropharynx and laryngopharynx, both of which are common passageways for food, fluids, and air.
Q: What are the subdivisions of the pharynx?
A: The pharynx is subdivided into the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx.
Q: What is the function of the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx?
A: The nasopharynx is part of the respiratory passageway, the oropharynx is posterior to the oral cavity, and the laryngopharynx is continuous with the esophagus inferiorly.
Q: What muscle layers are found in the walls of the pharynx?
A: The walls of the pharynx contain two skeletal muscle layers: the outer layer with longitudinal muscle fibers and the inner layer (constrictor muscles) with circular muscle fibers.
Q: How does food move through the pharynx into the esophagus?
A: Alternating contractions of the longitudinal and constrictor muscles propel food through the pharynx into the esophagus. Longitudinal muscles contract to shorten and widen the pharynx, allowing food to move downward.
Constrictor muscles contract to push the food further along the pharynx.
Q: What is the propelling mechanism called?
A: The propelling mechanism is called peristalsis.
