Digestive System Flashcards
Accessory organs of digestion
Liver, pancreas, gallbladder
Mastication
Chewing. Food is ingested into the mouth where it is mechanically broken down by the teeth and tongue
Saliva
Produced by the three pairs of salivary glands, lubricates and dilutes the chewed food
Amylase
Enzyme in saliva that starts the digestion of complex carbohydrates
Bolus
Ball of food
Esophagus
Narrow tube leading from the pharynx to the stomach
Four main layers of the digestive tract
Mucous membrane, submucous layer, muscular layer, serous layer
Gastric glands
Found in stomach, secrete hydrochloric acid that breaks down foods
Chyme
The soupy substance that the mass is turned into. The stomach muscle churns and mixes the bolus of food.
Stomach
Breaks down food, stores food, regulates the movement of food into the small intestine
Small intestine
Where digestion and absorption of food occur. Food is acted on by various enzymes.
Three major regions of the small intestine
Duodenum, jejunum, ileum
The blood absorbs
Amino acids and simple sugars from proteins and carbs
Lymph absorbs
Most of the fats, which are eventually added to the bloodstream
Hepatic portal vein
Where all nutrients are routed to the liver for decontamination
