Part 3: The Digestive System Flashcards
What is the function of the mouth (teeth)?
The teeth physically digest food into smaller pieces to aid chemical digestion.
What is the function of the mouth (tongue)?
The tongue (a muscle) helps you to move food to the back of your mouth so you can swallow it.
What is the function of the mouth (salivary glands)?
The salivary glands contain an enzyme (amylase) that starts to break large carbohydrates down into simple sugars.
What is the function of the oesophagus?
The oesophagus passes food down to the stomach.
What is the function of the stomach?
The stomach churns up the food to mix the food with digestive juices.
What is the function of the pancreas?
The pancreas produces enzymes that are released into the small intestine.
What is the function of the small intestine?
Digestion is completed in the first part of the small intestine, producing small, soluble molecules that can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Absorption happens in the second part of the small intestine, where all the useful substances pass into the bloodstream. The waste material and water left over pass into the large intestine.
What is the function of the liver?
The liver makes bile.
What is the function of the gall bladder?
The gall bladder stores bile.
What is the function of the large intestine?
The large intestine absorbs water from the waste material.
What is the function of the rectum?
The rectum stores the waste until it is removed from the body by the anus.
Which organs are involved in physical digestion?
Mouth and stomach
Which organs are involved in chemical digestion?
Mouth, stomach, small intestine
Which organs are involved in the absorption of food?
Small intestine and large intestine (water)
Name the adaptations of the small intestine to help it increase the efficiency of absorption.
Long length: 6- 7 metres
Highly folded surface to increase the surface in contact with digested food.
Villi: finger like projections to further increase the surface area
Microvilli: cells covering the villi have tiny projecting folds to increase the surface even further.
Mitochondria: cells lining the villi have lots of mitochondria to provide energy to enable them to absorb substances by active transport.
