Nutrition & Digestion Flashcards
Metabolism:
Metabolism requires a great deal of fuel and raw materials, which we obtain from our food. Metabolism: maintenance, protein and enzyme repair/replacement, cell transportation, rearranging supports, fueling power plants and factories, and finding and fixing errors in the DNA
Calorie:
One Calorie is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one pint of water by about four degrees Fahrenheit, or to rise from a chair, walk eight feet, and return to the chair
Nutrients:
Macronutrients & Micronutrients
Macronutrients:
required in relatively large amounts (carbohydrates, proteins, & fats)
Micronutrients:
required in much smaller amounts (vitamins & minerals)
Know the benefits and importance of water:
Water is necessary for proper digestion and absorption of food, for transporting nutrients to the body’s cells, for constructing and repairing cells, for lubricating joints, and for regulating body temperature. When the body tissues absorb extra fluids and cannot maintain proper water balance, a condition called “edema” results
Know the functions of the alimentary canal:
The purpose of the alimentary canal is to aid the body with the processing of food (digestion), the intake of nutrients (absorption), and the elimination of wastes
Know the teeth and their function:
The teeth cut, break, or crush food into smaller pieces so that it may be more easily digested. An adult normally has 32 teeth: incisors (four front cutting teeth); cuspids (canines - the two tearing teeth that flank the incisors); bicuspids (premolars - the four light-grinding teeth that are arranged as a pair on each side of the jaw next to the cuspids); molars (the six heavy-grinding teeth that are arranged three to a side at the back of the jaw). The last molar on each side of the jaw is called a “wisdom tooth”
Know the process of digestion (from the mouth to the stomach):
In the oral cavity (chemical process), the food is lubricated with mucus and saliva, broken into small particles by chewing, and formed into a bolus and pushed to the pharynx by the tongue. It then moves to the esophagus (a foot-long muscular tube connecting the pharynx to the stomach). In peristalsis, two sets of involuntary muscles produce a rhythmic series of contractions that force the food down the esophagus toward the stomach.
incisors
four front cutting teeth
cuspids
canines - the two tearing teeth that flank the incisors
bicuspids
premolars - four light grinding teeth that are arranged as a pair on each side of the jaw next to the cuspids
molar
six heavy-grinding teeth that are arranged three to a side at the back of the jaw
“wisdom tooth”:
last molar on each side of the jaw
Major organs of the digestive system:
1) Stomach
2) Liver
3) Pancreas
4) Small intestine
5) Large Intestine
Stomach:
Stomach: saclike, J-shaped storage structure (capacity: ~ 3 pints), lying just below the diaphragm in the upper part of the abdominal cavity. Entry: cardiac sphincter; exit: pyloric sphincter. It has three muscle walls (lined by mucous membranes), which secrete mucus and hydrochloric acid (breaks down food by chemical process). The major function of the stomach is to store food and release it (as chyme) to the small intestine at the required rate; it also aids in digestion and absorbs water, glucose, and a few other substances
Liver:
produces bile salts, which helps with digestion of fats in the small intestine
Pancreas:
produces pancreatic juice, which digests carbohydrates
Small Intestine:
primary organ of digestion and absorption, long tube (about 10 ft long in an adult), lined with villi
Large Intestine:
larger yet shorter than the small intestine, forming an inverted “U” in the abdominal cavity; divided into cecum, colon, and rectum
