Monogastric digestion

Question 1

mouth

Answer 1

primary organ of food acquisition. mastication (mechanical digestion) occurs here. saliva contains buffers that neutralize acids in food along with ptyalin that breaks down starch (enzymatic).

Question 2

esophagus

Answer 2

the long tube that carries food from the mouth, through the thoracic cavity to the stomach. does not contribute to any substances that facilitate digestion.

Question 3

Stomach

Answer 3

major contributor to the digestion of protein. secretes large quantities of HCl which facilitates the breakdown of peptide bonds between individual amino acids. also secretes pepsin, a proteolytic enzyme that cleaves bonds between specific pairs of amino acids. chyme is created in the stomach.

Question 4

small intestine

Answer 4

major site of chemical digestion and primary site for absorption of digested nutrients. has three parts (duodenum, jejunum and ileum. valvular conniventes and finger like projections (villi and microvillli) are adaptions to increase the surface area of the small intestine.

Question 5

duodenum

Answer 5

part of the small intestine closest to the stomach. completes chemical digestion. point of entry of several important factors that contribute to chemical digestion.

Question 6

Bile

Answer 6

synthesized in the liver, stored in the gall bladder then released into the duodenum as needed through the bile duct. emulsifies fat.

Question 7

pancreas

Answer 7

source of many digestive enzymes. pancreatic lipase breaks ester bonds that link fatty acids to glycerol. secretes pancreatic amylase that breaks down starch into maltose. secretes 3 proteolytic enzymes (trypsin, chymotrypsin and carboxypeptidase) to continue the digestion of protein.

Question 8

large intestine

Answer 8

divided into sections (cecum, colon, rectum). where microbial digestion occurs and starch and cellulose are broken down. anaerobic environment (little oxygen) major site of water reabsorption and forms feces

Question 9

cecum and colon

Answer 9

primary site for microbial digestion in the large intestine. microorganisms cleave beta 1,4 glycosidic bonds in cellulose. microbes rely on anaerobic metabolic pathways or fermentation to provide energy. most energy remains trapped in VFAs which cross into the bloodstream. vitamin K and some B vitamins are also synthesized by the microbes.