Digestive System Flashcards
What is absorption?
The passage of digested food from the digestive tract into the circulatory system
What is digestion?
Mechanical & chemical breakdown of foods for the use by the body’s cells
What is elimination?
The expulsion of Undigested food or body wastes
What is mastication?
The process or chewing- prepares foods to be swallowed
What are salivary glands!
Secrete saliva, which contains an enzyme that starts the digestion of carbohydrates
Lubricates food making it easier to swallow
What does the tongue do?
Forms food into a ball to prepare for swallowing. Food is then forced into the pharynx
What is the esophagus?
Muscular tube that extends from the pharynx to the stomach
What is peristalsis?
A seeks of involuntary muscular contractions that move food through the esophagus
What is the stomach?
Hollow saclike organ enclosed in a muscular wall
Stomach
Continues the break down of food
Storage place for food
Mixes together food & gastric juices
What are gastric juices?
Secretions from the stomach lining that contain pepsin & hydrochloric acid
What is pepsin?
Enzyme that breaks down protein
What is hydrochloric acid?
Kills bacteria
What does the stomach do?
Churns together food & gastric juices to produce chyme
What is chyme?
A creamy fluid mixture of food & gastric juices
What is the small intestine?
The major part of digestion & absorption occurs here
20-23 ft in length
Lined with millions of finger like projections callee villi.
What does peristalsis do to chyme?
Moves chyme through the small intestine (takes 3-5 hours)
What do villi do?
Absorb digested food particles
What do unabsorbed materials do?
Enter into the large intestine
What are the main functions of the large intestine?
To absorb water & eliminate Undigested food
What does the liver do?
Regulates the levels of most chemicals in your body
Clears blood of poisonous substances & excretes them in bile
What is bile?
A yellowish green bitter fluid important in the breakdown of fats
What is the gallbladder?
Located underneath the liver. It stores bile then releases it into the small intestine
What does the pancreas do?
Produces 3 digestive enzymes
Trypsin- digest proteins
Amylase- digest carbohydrates
Lipase- digest fats
