Lecture 30. Digestion and Metabolism Flashcards
What are essential nutrients ?
Requires materials that an animal cannot assemble from simpler organic molecules
What are the four classes of essential nutrients ?
- Essential amino acids
- Essential fatty acids
- Vitamins
- Minerals
What is an essential precursor for phospholipids and prostaglandins ?
Linoleic acid converted by the enzyme fatty acid desaturase to y-linoleic acid
What is digestion ?
The process of breaking food down into molecules small enough to absorb
What is mechanical digestion ?
Chewing or grinding increases the surface area of food
What is chemical digestion ?
Splits food into small molecules that can pass through membranes that are used to build larger molecules
In chemical digestion, what splits bonds with the addition of water ?
Enzyme hydrolysis
What forms the mammalian digestive system ?
Organs specialised for sequential stages of food processing
What is the function of accessory glands ?
Secrete digestive juices through ducts into the alimentary canal
What are the mammalian accessory glands ?
- Salivary glands
- Pancreas
- Liver
- Gallbladder
Where does food processing begin ?
The oral cavity
What is saliva ?
Exocrine secretion from the salivary glands
What does saliva contain ?
Mucose
What is saliva mucous ?
A viscous mixture of water, salts, cells, amylase and glycoproteins
What is the function of the tongue ?
Shapes food into a bolus and help with swallowing
What does the esophagus do ?
Connects to the stomach
Where does the trachea lead to ?
The lungs
What does swallowing do ?
Causes the epiglottis to block entry to the trachea
What is the bolus guided by ?
The larnyx
Where is the larynx ?
The upper part of the respiratory tract
When does coughing occur ?
When the swallowing reflex fails and food/liquid reaches the trachea
How is food moved from the pharynx to the stomach ?
Peristalsis
What is peristalsis ?
The rhythmic contraction of muscles in the wall of the alimentary canal
Where does peristalsis occur through ?
Small and large intestine
What helps to regulate the movement of material between compartments ?
Valves called sphincers
What is the function of the stomach ?
Stores food and processes it into a liquid by mechanical churning and chemical secretions
What is chyme ?
The mixture of ingested food and gastric juice
What is the pH of gastric juice ?
2.2
What is the purpose of the low pH of gastric juice ?
Kills bacteria and denatures protein
What is gastric juice made up of ?
Hydrochloric acid and pepsin
What secretes hydrogen and chloride ions ?
Parietal cells
Where do paretial cells secrete hydrogen and chloride ions separately to ?
The lumen of the stomach
What secretes inactive pepsinogen ?
Chief cells
When is pepsinogen activated to pepsin ?
When mixed with hydrochloric acid in the stomach
What is the function of mucous in the stomach ?
Protects the stomach lining from gastric juices
What does cell division do to the epithelial layer ?
Adds a new epithelial layer every three days