Module 11-Overview of the Digestive System Flashcards
What is a GI Tract?
A tube that extends the mouth to the anus.
The accessory digestive organs includes the
the teeth, tongue, salivary glands, liver, pancreas and gallbladder.
What is the peritoneum?
thin, smooth membrane that lines the inside of the abdomen and covers the organs within it.
It helps keep the organs in place and allows them to move smoothly against each other as you move.
What is the role of the mesentery?
It holds your intestines and other organs in place.
Does the mesentery have blood vessels and nerves?
Yes
What is another name for the mouth?
oral cavity or buccal cavity
What is mechanical digestion?
the first phase of digestion. It involves physically breaking down food into smaller pieces beginning with chewing in the mouth.
What is chemical digestion?
the second phase of digestion and uses enzymes produced in the salivary glands, stomach, pancreas and small intestines to break down food particles into nutrients that the cells can use.
What is absorption?
Absorption is like a gateway that allows the nutrients from the food you eat to enter your bloodstream and be delivered to the cells that need them to keep you healthy and strong.
Where does most nutrient absorption occur?
The small intestine
What does the enzyme amylase in the saliva break down?
Starch
What is the primary function of the stomach?
Stores food and also prepares food for digestion.
What are the main functions of the liver?
detoxification which is a process where your body gets rid of harmful substances and toxins
What is name for glucose when it is stored by the liver?
glucagon
Where is the gallbladder found?
attached to the underside of the liver
What is the role of the gallbladder?
stores bile from the liver. It releases it to the small intestine to help with digestion.
What is the role of bile
Bile helps with fat digestion
Where is the pancreas found?
lies behind the stomach
what is the exocrine role of the pancreas?
it releases enzymes which contains like amylase, lipase, trypsin, and chymotrypsin. They break down the food you eat into smaller pieces so your body can absorb all the nutrients from it.
The pancreatic and bile ducts empty secretions into which part of the small intestine?
the duodenum
Is the duodenum the first part of the small intestine?
Yes
The small intestine extends from where to where?
stomach to large intestine
Name the three parts of the small intestine in order
the duodenum, jejunum and ileum
How do the microvilli, the villi, and the circular folds aid in digestion?
by increasing the surface area and optimizing the conditions for nutrient absorption.
What is the main function of the large intestine?
reabsorption of water, home to many bacteria of the microbiome.
Describe the steps of carbohydrate digestion
Begins in the mouth with amylase
Continues in the small intestine with pancreatic amylase
Finishes in the small intestine with sucrase, lactase, and maltase
End product: Monosaccharides (glucose molecules)
Describe the steps of lipid digestion
First requires emulsification from bile (in the small intestine)
Continues with pancreatic lipase.
Some fats absorbed into the bloodstream (if small) other fats changed enter the lymphatic system (if larger)
What is the end products of lipid digestion?
Glycerol and Fatty Acids absorb into the bloodstream
Triglycerides (larger molecules) absorb into lymphatic system
Describe the steps of protein digestion
Begins in the stomach with pepsin
Continues in the duodenum with trypsin and chymotrypsin (from the pancreas)
Finishes in the small intestine with peptidases
What is the end product of protein digestion?
Amino Acids
Which enzyme acts in the mouth to begin the breakdown of starch?
Amylase
What is the purpose of the gallbladder?
to store bile
What is the purpose of the gastric pits?
To secrete gastric juices and other secretions
Which organ is considered to be an accessory organ to the digestive system?
Gallbladder
Most of the process of digestion and the absorption of nutrients take place in the
Gallbladder
Which of the following happens to cause thirst?
the hypothalamus causes the salivary glands to produce less saliva
Which situation could cause metabolic acidosis?
uncontrolled diabetes
Which hormone will be produced when serum sodium concentrations are low?
Aldosterone
Water toxicity would cause the extracellular fluids in the body to be
hyoptonic
Which is NOT a method of fluid intake?
urination
What is it called when the body’s potassium levels are high?
Hyperkalemia
Which situation would result in volume depletion?
Blood Loss
The main electrolyte in extracellular fluids is
Sodium
hypercalcemia could be caused by
an overactive parathyroid gland
Which part of carbohydrate metabolism requires oxygen?
aerobic respiration
Which vitamin is NOT fat soluble
Vitmain C
Which large layer of visceral peritoneum extends from the stomach down over the intestines?
greater omentum
The ball of chewed food, mixed with saliva that is formed in the mouth is called a
Bolus
Which is NOT a function of the pancreas?
to secrete digestive enzymes directly into the ileum
What is the main function of the large intestine
Large Intestine
Where does the final stage of carbohydrate digestion occur
at the microvilli by brush border enzymes
This structure prevents stomach acid from flowing upward into the esophagus
the lower esophageal sphincter
What is the function of the gallbladder?
to store and secrete bile
The sturctures in the stomach that produce mucus, hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes are called
Gastric Pits
The main purpose of villi and microvilli is to
increase surface area to enhance absorption
