Organs of digestion Flashcards
Where does digestion start?
In the oral cavity:
Teeth-mechanically digest
Salivary glands- chemically digest
Where does digestion continue to after the oral cavity?
Pharynx (part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity)
What are the different salivary glands?
Parotid glands (the large ones)
Submandibular glands
Sublingual glands
What is the function of the salivary glands?
Secrete saliva in anticipation of food
Chemically digest
Wash over taste buds to improve the interpretation of food
What are the different parts of the pharynx?
Nasopharynx
Oropharynx- a continuation of the oral cavity
Laryngopharynx- splits into
What is the nasopharynx?
The nose/top part of the pharynx
What is the oropharynx?
The middle part of the pharynx- a continuation of the oral cavity
What is the laryngopharynx?
The lower part of the pharynx
Splits off into an anterior pathway for air, and a posterior pathway which becomes the oesophagus.
How does digestion continue after the oesophagus?
Food travels to the stomach
How does the stomach break down food?
Acid secretions
Mechanical movements
What feature of the stomach aids in digestion?
Stomach contains rugae which allows the stomach to expand
How does digestion continue after the stomach?
Food travels to duodenum
What is the function of the duodenum in digestion?
Contains an alkaline buffer from the pancreas to neutralise the acidic contents from stomach
Nutreints from food also absorbed here
How does digestion continue after the duodenum?
Continues into the jejunum and then to the ileum
Nutrients absorped
The food then passes through the ileocolic junction into the large intestine for the production of waste
How is digestion continued after the small intestine?
Starts in the caecum, then to the ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon, and then reaches the terminal rectum and anus
