Digestive System Flashcards
What are the 4 stages of digestion?
Ingestion, digestion, absorption, elimination
What are the 2 types of digestion? Explain.
Mechanical: Chewing/ Churning of the stomach. Chops and grinds food, increasing the surface area.
Chemical: Breaks the chemical bonds of large molecules such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins. Produces smaller molecules during hydrolysis.
Define Hydrolysis
Process that breaks down bonds in food molecules by adding water to them in the presence of specific enzymes.
What enzyme breaks down starch?
Amylase
What enzyme breaks down protein?
Trypsin
What enzyme breaks down fats?
Lipase
Where does absorption occur?
Small intestine. From there, the molecules enter the blood stream/circulatory system
How are undigested materials eliminated?
They are moved through the colon and eliminated as feces.
What is the alimentary canal?
A digestive tract with two openings, a mouth and an anus. Also known as the GI (gastrointestinal) tract.
What are the 6 main organs of the GI tract
Mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine and colon
Bonus: What is a hermaphrodite?
A person with both ovaries and testes
What are the accessory glands and organs of the digestive tract?
Salivary glands, pancreas, liver gallbladder
What is saliva composed of?
Digestive enzymes, mucus and other chemicals to help chemically digest food
By what process does food move from the pharynx to the stomach
Peristalsis
What is the epiglottis?
A cartilage flap that temporarily seals off the airway and prevents food from moving into the airway as it passes through the pharynx into the esophagus when you swallow.
When is the clump of food called the bolus and when is it called chyme?
When the lump of food is in the throat it is the bolus, when in the stomach and turned into an acidic, nutrient-rich liquid.
Names of the 2 sphincters and their location.
Cardiac and pyloric, above and below stomach
What are the names of each section of the small intestine?
- Duodenum 2. Jejunum 3. Ileum
What lines the inside of the small intestine?
The wall of the small intestine is folded into finger-like projections called villi.
What are lymph vessels?
Structures that carry fluid from cells
GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) description and treatment
Occurs when acid from the stomach spills up into the esophagus frequently enough to harm the lining of the esophagus.
Avoid smoking, alcohol and excess eating. Antacids to neutralize stomach acid. Sometimes surgery to strengthen the muscle between your stomach and esophagus.
Ulcer description and treatment
Sores found in the stomach lining, esophagus or upper small intestine. Caused by lining being broken down and irritated by gastric acid.
Blood test, feces/stool test to detect presence of H. pylori bacteria (cause of most ulcers, barium x-ray (barium coats the lining of the organ and make the ulcer more visible), endoscopy.
IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) description and treatment
Intestines become irritated and inflamed and develop many ulcers, causing abdominal pain or diarrhea. Ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.
Still being researched, could be a type of allergic reaction, specific diet may help.
Constipation description and treatment
Peristalsis moves feces too slowly or colon absorbs too much water and feces become too compact. Usually temporary, caused by a diet lacking fiber.
To avoid it: Eat lots of fiber, drink a least 1L of water every day and exercise.
