Organisation: The Digestive System & Digestive Enzymes Flashcards
What is a tissue?
A tissue is a group of cells with a similar structure and function.
What is an organ?
An organ is a group of tissues working together to perform a specific function.
eg. The stomach contains muscle tissue and glandular tissue which releases enzymes.
What is an organ system?
An organ system is a group of organs which which work together to perform specific functions.
What are the three main nutrients found in food? And are these examples of large or small molecules?
The three main nutrients found in food are carbohydrates (eg. starch), protein and lipids (fats).
All of these are large molecules and too large to be absorbed by the blood stream so they have to be digested.
What is the role of enzymes in the digestive system?
The role of the enzymes in the digestive system is to break down large food molecules into small molecules so they can then be absorbed into the blood stream.
Which organ in the digestive system releases bile? And what is the role of bile (2)?
The organ that releases bile is the liver and its function is to speed up the digestion of lipids (fats), bile also neutralises the acid released from the stomach
By what processes are small food molecules produced by digestion absorbed into the bloodstream ?
In the small intestine, the small food molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream by either diffusion or active transport.
What happens in the digestive system? (simplified)
In the digestive system, large food molecules are digested into smaller molecules and then the products of digestion are absorbed into the bloodstream.
Now the products of digestion are then used by the body to build new carbohydrates, lipids and proteins.
Some of the glucose produced is used in respiration.
What are the main functions of the mouth in the digestive system?
The main function of the mouth in the digestive system is it is were food is chewed, the enzymes in the saliva begin to digest the starch (carbohydrates) into smaller sugar molecules.
What is the job of the oesophagus?
The primary function of the oesophagus is to transport food entering the mouth through the throat and into the stomach.
What are enzymes?
Enzymes are biological catalysts which catalyse (speed up) chemical reactions.
They can not be used up and can be reused for multiple chemical reactions.
What is the name of the groove on an enzyme?
The name of the groove on the surface of an enzyme is the active site. (This is where the substrate attaches to)
What is the name of the theory which involves the substrate fitting perfectly into the active site?
The lock and key theory proposes that the enzyme’s active site and the shape of the substrate molecule are complementary to one another.
What does the enzyme do after the active site has attached to the substrate?
The enzyme will then break down the substrate into its products.
What may the enzyme not be able to do if the substrate does not fit into the active site?
If the substrate is not able to fit into the active site the enzyme will not be able to break down the substrate into the products.
