Exam Study 1 Digestive System 2 Flashcards
Digestive system function
The digestive system breaks down nutrients into parts small enough for your body to absorb and use for energy, growth and cell repair. And then excretes waste.
Lower oesophageal sphincter?
A ringlike muscle at the end of the oesophagus, which relaxes when food gets close but usually stays closed to prevent food in your stomach from flowing back up the oesophagus.
Stomach function?
Mix the food and liquid with stomach acids and enzymes that break down the food. Then empty its contents, called chyme, into the small intestine.
Small intestine function?
The muscles of the small intestine mix food with digestive juices from the pancreas, liver and intestine, and push the mixture forward for further digestion. Bacteria in the small intestine also makes some of the enzymes needed to digest carbohydrates. The walls of the small intestine absorb water and the digested nutrients into your bloodstream. As peristalsis continues, the waste products of the digestive process move into the large intestine.
Large intestine function?
Waste products from the digestive process include undigested parts of food, fluid and older cells from the lining of your GI tract. The large intestine absorbs water and changes the waste from liquid into stool. Bacteria in large intestine also help breakdown remaining nutrients and make vitamin K. Peristalsis (wave-like muscle contractions) helps move the stool into your rectum.
Rectum
The lower end of the large intestine, stores stool until it pushes stool out of the anus during a bowel movement.
Pancreas function in the digestive system?
Creates a digestive juice that has enzymes that break down carbohydrates, fats and proteins. The pancreas delivers the digestive juice to the small intestine through small tubes called ducts.
Liver function in digestive system?
Creates a digestive juice called bile that helps digest fats and some vitamins. Bile ducts carry bile from your liver to your gallbladder for storage, or to the small intestines for use.
Gallbladder function in digestive system?
Stores bile between meals. Bile contains bile acids, which are critical for digestion and absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins in the small intestine. When you eat, your gallbladder squeezes bile through the bile ducts into the small intestine.
What happens to the digested food?
The small intestine absorbs most of the nutrients in the food, and the circulatory system passes them on to other parts of the body to store or use. Special cells help absorbed nutrients cross the intestinal lining into the bloodstream. Blood carries simple sugars, amino acids, glycerol, and some vitamins and salts to the liver. The liver stores, processes and delivers nutrients to the rest of the body when needed.
What do proteins break down into and what are they used for?
Protein breaks down into amino acids. Amino acids make up a large proportion of our cells, muscles and tissue. This means they carry out many important bodily functions, such as giving cells their structure. They also play a key role in the transport and the storage or nutrients. They are furthermore essential for healing wounds and repairing tissue, especially in the muscles, bones, skin and hair as well as for the removal of all kinds of waste deposits produced in connection with the metabolism.
What do fats break down into and what are they used for?
Fats break down into fatty acids and glycerol.
Fatty acids are the building blocks of the fat in our bodies and in the food we eat. They also are necessary for the formation of healthy cell membranes, proper development and functioning of the brain and nervous system, proper thyroid and adrenal activity, hormone production, and many other things.
Glycerol can be used as a source of energy. (So can fatty acids for that matter)
What do carbohydrates break down into and what are they used for?
Carbohydrates break down into glucose, which is the main source of energy for the body. Simple carbs can provide a quick burst of energy, but complex carbs will provide energy for your body for a longer period of time because they release the sugar into your bloodstream more slowly. While fat and protein can also provide energy for your body, carbs provide the most energy per gram
Steps of digestive system in order:
- Mouth
- Oesophagus
- Stomach
- Small intestine
- Colon (large intestine)
- Rectum
What is an enzyme?
An enzyme is a substance produced by the body which acts as a catalyst (a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction) to bring about a specific chemical reaction.
