Human Anatomy Flashcards
Mouth
The structure that ingests food and starts digestion through mechanical chewing (teeth) and chemical (saliva)
Salivary glands
3 glands in the mouth that moisten food and begin chemical digestion of starches
Tongue
a muscular organ that moves food around the mouth; helps in the mechanical chewing and positioning of food
Uvula
a flap of tissue which hangs down inside the back of the mouth to prevent large chunks of food from going down the esophagus (choking / gag response)
Esophagus
a muscular tube which takes food to the stomach using an action called peristalsis
Epiglottis
a flap of tissue that covers the upper trachea when food and liquids are swallowed to prevent them from entering the lungs
closes off airway when swallowing food
Stomach
a bag-like organ which digests food using both chemical (HCl and Pepsin) and mechanical (muscles)
Liver
A large lobed organ which: produces bile detoxifies blood from food and drink stores excess glucose and iron breaks down amino acids and RBC Stores vitamins a, d, e and k Stores glycogen bile breaks down fat globules into droplets, and activates lipases to break down the droplets
Gallbladder
a small organ which stores bile produced by the liver
-contains chemicals such as cholesterol an bile salts involved in the breakdown of fats
Pancreas
A smaller organ which produces many enzymes including insulin
-releases a basic solutions to change the pH of chyme when it enters the duodenum
Small intestine
the longest section of the digestive system which removes nutrient value from the food through the action of villi
What are the 3 sections of the digestive system?
duodenum
jejunum
ileum
Colon/large intestine
reabsorbs water from digested food
appendix
a small structure at the start of the colon, which has no known use, - it is believed it once digested cellulose
Rectum
tube at the end of the colon which stores waste
Anus
Opening at the end of the digestive system, through which waste is excreted
Ingestion
the process of taking in food
digestion
the separation of large food pieces into individual molecules with the help of internal organs
absorption
occurs to the food molecules after digestion as they diffuse into the blood so that they may be transported to the appropriate cells
egestion
occurs to parts of the food that are not absorbed, but eliminated
Nutrients
Chemicals that an organism need to grow, build tissues, repair tissues, and to produce energy
Catabolism
the metabolic reactions that break down larger molecules to into smaller subunits
anabolism
the metabolic reactions that use energy to produce larger molecules from smaller subunits
Metabolism
the set of chemical reactions that occur in living organisms that are necessary to maintain life
Alimentary canal
- tube within the body
- food goes from the mouth through the various parts as it is processed
- food egested never enters the cells of the organism
extracellular digestion
digestion occuring outside the cells (eg. in the stomach, intestines etc.) - most digestion occurs this way
Excretion
products which have been a part of the body’s chemical reactions are given off (eg: urine, CO2)
What ae the two main criteria animals eat?
- endothermic (warm blooded) or ectothermic (cold blooded)
2. Body size
metabolic rate of an animal depends on (5)
- body size - more energy for larger animals
- physical activity - higher activity required for larger animals
- sex - males require more energy (more muscle mass, often larger)
- Age - metabolic rates decrease w age
- hereditary factors - some naturally have a higher rate (humming bird)
Set point
a level which remains close to constant when you eat the amount required by the body
