nutrition and digestion Flashcards
what is nutrition
the way an organism obtains its food
what does autotrophic mean
describes organisms that can make their own food eg plants
what are heterotrophs + 3 types
an organism that cant make its own food, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore
what are the steps of digestion
ingestion, digestion, absorption, assimilation and egestion
what is ingestion
food is taken into the alimentary canal through the mouth
what is digestion
food is broken down into soluble pieces physically and chemically so they can be absorbed into the blood stream
explain the two types of digestion
physical digestion: mechanical breakdown of food. chemical digestion: when enzymes break down food
where does physical digestion occur?
mouth by the teeth grinding, oesophagus and intestines by peristalsis, stomach by churning and muscular movement
where does chemical digestion occur
saliva in the mouth by the amylase, pepsin in the stomach, lipase in the small intestine
what are the four types of teeth
incisors, canines, premolars, molars
what is food called after leaving the mouth
bolus
what chemical digestion occurs in the duodenum
bile which is made in the liver and pancreatic juice enter the duodenum, the bile emulsifies fats and neutralises acid
what is bile
made of water, bile salts and bile pigments, no enzymes and produced from the remains of dead red blood cells
what are the islets if langerhans
specialised cells in the pancreas which produce insulin which control blood sugar levels
what occurs in the small intestine
digestion in the duodenum and absorption in the ileum
what occurs during absorption in the ileum
amino acids, monosaccharides and water soluble vitamins pass from the villi into the blood capillaries by diffusion and are carried to the liver via the hepatic portal vein. fatty acids, glycerol and fat soluble vitamins pass from the villi to the lacteal by diffusion they are then eventually brought to the liver as they are dumped into the blood. by the subclavian artery.
what are the functions of the large intestine/ colon
reabsorb water, forms faeces, produces b and k vitamins by symbiotic bacteria
what are the four parts of the large intestine
caecum, appendix, colon and rectum
what are the functions of the liver
metabolism, produces bile, detoxifies the body, stores vitamins and minerals, makes plasma proteins, produces heat, breaks down red blood cells and produces cholesterol
Describe the. Mechanical digestion in the stomach
Food is churned and broken up by
peristalsis.
Describe chemical digestion in the stomach
Gastric Juice which is secreted into the
stomach consists of: Mucus, HCL, Pepsinogen
■ Mucus- lines and protects the stomach from
digestive enzymes.
■ Hydrochloric Acid (HCL)– kills bacteria
and activates pepsinogen to pepsin. (pH1-2)
■ Pepsinogen is an inactive enzyme which
is activated by HCL to the active enzyme
Pepsin. Pepsin is a protease which breaks
down proteins into peptides.
What is the pancreas’ role in digestion
Secretes pancreatic juice (contains enzymes and
sodium bicarbonate)
■ Pancreatic Juice is secreted into the pancreatic duct
which leads to the duodenum where it is released.
Adaptions of the Ileum to its
Function:
■ Very Long (all food can be absorbed)
■ Numerous Villi and Microvilli (increase
surface area)
■ Lacteals/ Lymph system to carry fats
■ Rich blood supply to carry water soluble
products
■ Walls of villi are thin allowing rapid diffusion
Fate of amino acids, glucose and water soluble vitamins once absorbed
Amino acids, Glucose, Water soluble Vitamins:
• Liver will store glucose, converting it to Glycogen, and
stores vitamins and release them when they are needed.
• Amino acids cannot be stored so if they are not used they
are broken down to form Urea in a process called Deamination.