Digestive Tract Organs Flashcards
What is the role of salivary glands?
Enzymes to break down complex sugars
HCO3- bicarbonate to neutralize acids
Mucus acts as a lubricant for the bolus
Lysozymes digest bacteria and other pathogens that enter the mouth
What is the name of the enzyme secreted by the salvation gland?
Salivary amylase
What is the name of the flap that separates the trachea and the esophagus?
Epiglottis
What is the name of the common throat?
Pharynx
What are three ways to dislodge something stuck in the trachea?
Coughing
Back slaps
Heimlich
What does the stomach digest?
Proteins
What is the inactive enzyme secreted by the stomach? What is the active enzyme? What activates it?
Inactive- pepsinogen
Active- pepsin
Pepsinogen is activated when it comes into contact with HCl and becomes pepsin
What is the role of hydrochloric acid (HCl)?
HCl takes big proteins and denatures (breakdown) them to increase surface area. It also actives pepsinogen into pepsin
What is the role of buffers (HCO3) bicarbonate?
It acts as mucus and protects the stomach from the HCl during digestion
What does it mean to be unidirectional?
Digestion moves in a single direction
What are sphincters?
Smooth muscle tissue that opens and closes when ready
What are accessory organs?
Do not receive anything from digestion, only secrete enzymes
Name the accessory organs that play in digestion.
Liver
Gall bladder
Pancreas
What are the names of the folds in the small intestines? What do these folds do?
The folds are called villi
They increase surface area in the small intestine to promote more digestion
What type of cells are in the small intestines?
Simple columnar epithelial tissue
What is the correlation between surface area and digestion in the small intestine?
More SA= more place for digestion. The small intestine produces enzymes, so more chance to finish digestion
________ finishes in the small intestines with its own enzymes.
Absorption
What is the role of large intestine?
Remove things that don’t give us energy
How long does it take for food to pass through the esophagus? What does this rate depend on?
5-10 seconds
The rate depends on how wet or dry your mouth is
How long does it take for food to pass through the stomach? What does this rate depend on?
2-6 hours
It depends if the material is a liquid or solid. Also depends on the meal and type of macronutrients
How long does it take for food to pass through the small intestines? What influences the rate of this process?
5-6 hours
Depends on what has to be done. Also depends how much FAT needs to be broken down
How long does it take for the undigested material to be eliminated from the body? What influences this rate?
12-14 hours
Depends on the water content and the solute
