gastroenterology terms

Question 1

anus

Answer 1

distal opening of the digestive tract to the outside of the body; opening and closing is controlled by two rings of muscles: the internal anal sphincter (involuntary smooth muscle) and the external anal sphincter (voluntary skeletal muscle)

Question 2

appendix

Answer 2

small pouch attached to the cecum; contains lymphatic tissue, but function is unclear

Question 3

bile

Answer 3

substance produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder; transported to the duodenum by the common bile duct; aids in fat digestion by breaking up large fat globules into smaller fat particles (a process called emulsification); also called gall

Question 4

bile duct

Answer 4

part of a series of tubes that transport bile between the liver, gallbladder, and duodenum

Question 5

gallbladder

Answer 5

organ that stores bile produced by the liver; releases bile into the duodenum via the common bile duct as needed

Question 6

common bile duct

Answer 6

main duct that transports bile from the liver or gallbladder to the duodenum

Question 7

colon

Answer 7

receives undigested food from the small intestine; allows for water to be reabsorbed into the body; what remains are called feces; the colon is divided into the ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, and sigmoid colon; term large intestine includes the cecum, appendix, colon, rectum, and anus

Question 8

diverticulum (plural diverticula)

Answer 8

small, abnormal, blind pouches that form off the intestinal or colon wall; can become inflamed and infected

Question 9

duodenum (plural is duodena)

Answer 9

first section of the small intestine; receives food from the stomach, digestive enzymes from the pancreas, and bile from the liver; final digestion of food and absorption of nutrients begins in the duodenum

Question 10

intestine

Answer 10

may refer to either the small or large intestine; the small intestine receives food from the stomach, digestive enzymes from the pancreas, and bile from the liver; digestion of food into nutrient molecules and absorption of these molecules occurs in the small intestine; fluid that remains after digestion and absorption enters the large intestine where water is reabsorbed and the remaining material s compacted into feces

Question 11

esophagus

Answer 11

a muscular tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach; the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is a ring of muscle that closes to prevent acidic gastric acid from splashing up into the esophagus

Question 12

stomach

Answer 12

a muscular sac producing hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes for protein digestion; it begins the digestive process by mixing food received from the esophagus with acid and enzymes; watery mixture, called chyme, leave the stomach and enters the duodenum

Question 13

liver

Answer 13

complex abdominal organ; in gastroenterology, it plays a role in digestion by producing bile to aid in fat digestion; bile exits the liver via the hepatic duct and, if there is food in the duodenum, it goes directly to the duodenum via the common bile duct; if there is no food, bile enters the gallbladder for storage via the cystic duct

Question 14

ileum

Answer 14

third section of the small intestine; receives digested food from the jejunum and completes the process of digestion and nutrient absorption

Question 15

abdomen

Answer 15

body cavity that houses organs of digestion, reproduction and excretion

Question 16

pancreas

Answer 16

the organ that produces digestive enzymes and buffers to neutralize acidic chyme entering the duodenum from the stomach; the pancreatic duct carries these enzymes and buffers to the duodenum where they aid in food digestion

Question 17

polyp

Answer 17

small mushroom-shaped tumor that grows on mucous membranes of the colon and extends into the lumen of the colon; can become cancerous

Question 18

rectum

Answer 18

the final segment of the large intestine; receives feces from the sigmoid colon and stores it prior to elimination

Question 19

sigmoid colon

Answer 19

the final s-shaped section of the colon; feces pass out of the sigmoid colon and into the rectum