Digestive System Lessons 4 Flashcards
what is the pathway in which food enters, is broken down, absorbed, and leaves the body called
the gastro-intestinal tract (G.I. tract)
what are the other organs that are considered part of the digestive system generally called
accessory organs
what are the three main accessory organs
the pancreas, the liver, and the gall bladder
what is the pancreas and what is its function
an elongated and flat organ that performs both exocrine and endocrine functions
define exocrine function
secretion into a ductal system
define endocrine function
secretion directly in the bloodstream
what are some exocrine functions in the pancreas
production of pancreatic juice to neutralize stomach acid, production of digestive enzymes for food
what are some endocrine functions in the pancreas
production of insulin, production of glucagon, production of somatostatin
what is the function of insulin
to promote the absorption of glucose from the blood into liver, fat and skeletal muscle cells
what is the function of glucagon
raises the glucose and fatty acid levels in the blood stream
what is the function of somatostatin
inhibits the production of insulin and glucagon
what are the kinds of endocrine cells in the pancreas(pancreatic islets)
alpha cells, beta cells and delta cells
what is the function of alpha cells
produces glucagon
what is the function of beta cells
produces insulin
what is the function of delta cells
produces somatostatin
when is insulin secreted
when blood glucose levels are high
when is glucagon secreted
when blood glucose levels are low
what is glucagon
a hormone responsible for raising the glucose and fatty acid levels in the blood stream
what is insulin
a hormone responsible for promoting the absorption of glucose from the blood into liver, fat, and skeletal muscle cells
what are the main roles of the liver
detoxifying harmful metabolites and synthesizing proteins and various biochemicals for growth and homeostasis
what is the liver composed of
two main lobes and around 100,000 lobules
what are lobules
tiny lobes
between the lobules on the liver, what the are three structures present
the bile duct, the branch of hepatic artery, and the branch of hepatic portal vein
what does the liver produce
bile
what is bile
a fluid that contains bile salts derived from cholesterol that are capable of breaking down large immiscible amounts of fat molecules into smaller, immiscible amounts
what is bile used for
to emulsify fat in the small intestine
what is the gall bladder
a small, muscular sac attached to the surface of the liver
what is the role of the gall bladder
to store an excess of bile that is produced from the liver
