Digestive System Flashcards
What is digestion?
Digestion is the process in which energy and nutrients are extracted from the food we eat.
Where does digestion occur?
Digestion occurs in the digestive tract, which is sometimes called the alimentary canal or the gut.
What is the function of the mouth?
The mouth helps with both physical digestion via the teeth and chemical digestion via the enzymes contained in saliva.
What is the function of the esophagus
The esophagus is a tube which connects the mouth to the stomach. Peristalsis, wave like muscular contractions, move bolus down into the stomach, and the trachea (windpipe) branches off the esophagus
What is the function of the stomach?
Muscles in the stomach churn the food with gastric juices which break down large proteins and some fat molecules. Mucus lining protects the stomach from gastric juices and the exist of the stomach is controlled by rings of muscle called sphincters.
What role do the pancreas, liver and gall bladder play in the digestive system?
The pancreas produces pancreatic juices which are slightly alkaline to neutrallise the stomach acids. The liver produces blood-clotting chemicals and converts glucose into glycogen. The Gall bladder is a small sac which stores bile produced by the liver.
What is the function of the small intestine?
The small intestine churns the food and produces enzyme which further digest food and allow for them to be absorbed into the blood stream. The walls of the small intestine are covered with villi which increase the surface area allowing for more digestive food to pass through into the blood stream.
What is the function of the large intestine?
The large intestine is made up of five parts, the caecum. appendix, colon, rectum and anus. This is where the undigested ‘waste’ material passes into the large intestine and remaining water and minerals are absorbed before being expelled from the body.
