Digestive System Functions Flashcards
The digestive process starts here, our salivary glands make saliva, a digestive juice, which moistens food so it moves more easily through your esophagus into your stomach.
Mouth
Produces saliva, which keeps the mouth and other parts of the digestive system moist. It also helps break down carbohydrates and lubricates the passage of food.
Sublingual Gland
Serves both digestive and respiratory functions, acts as a fork in the road to the esophagus or trachea.
Pharynx
Functions as a lid to the larynx, during the act of swallowing, to prevent food from entering trachea while one is eating.
Epiglottis
Functions as a transport tube that directs the progression of food and fluids from the mouth to the stomach.
Esophagus
Digests food, temporarily stores food, and mixes and breaks down food by contractions and relaxations of the stomach muscles.
Stomach
Tube like structure that carries bile from the gallbladder and empties it into the duodenum.
Common Bile Duct
First segment of the small intestine, responsible for continually breaking down food.
Duodenum
Absorbs sugars, amino acids, and fatty acids.
Jejunum
Absorbs minerals, carbs, fats, and proteins.
Ileum
Connects the ileum and the cecum, through which chyme passes through ileum to the colon.
Ileocecal Junction
Absorbs fluids and salts, mixes digested contents with a lubricating mucus.
Cecum
UNKNOWN; possibly a storehouse of good bacteria.
Appendix
Absorbs the remaining water and other key nutrients from the indigestible material, solidifying it to form stool.
Ascending Colon
Absorbs water. and continues to solidify undigestible material.
Transverse Colon
Stores feces that will be eventually emptied into the rectum.
Descending Colon
This colon increases pressure to move the stool into the rectum.
Sigmoid Colon
Stores stool until it is pushed out of anus.
Rectum
The end of the gastrointestinal tract, internal anal sphincter relaxes and pushes stool out canal.
Anus
Concentrates bile from liver and stores it for later.
Gall Blader
A tube that carries bile from the liver.
Hepatic Duct
Makes a digestive juice called bile that helps digest fats and vitamins.
Liver
Makes juices called enzymes, which help break down fats, starches, and sugars. This organ also makes hormones.
Pancreas
