Textbook of Modern Herbology - Chapter Six

Question 1

What is the purpose and process of digestion?

Answer 1

The process of changing the insoluble, indifusable substances into soluble and diffusible ones that are absorbable by the circulatory system is called digestion. It can be further explained as the breaking down of bigger, more complex macromolecules to simpler smaller soluble molecules that can pass through the cell membrane.

Question 2

What are the four functions of the digestive system?

Answer 2

1. Ingestion and mastication of food.
2. Secretion of chemical substances that produce chemical changes in the food in order to make it soluble and difusible.
3. The absorption of nutritive material
4. Disposing of not absorbed residues of the food

Question 3

What are the two major parts of the digestive system?

Answer 3

I. A hollow tube from the mouth to the anus

II. Glands that make the food difusable and Soluble.

Question 4

What are the parts of the hollow tube in the digestive track?

Answer 4

1. Mouth - Teeth and Tongue
2. Pharynx
3. Esophagus
4. Stomach
5. Small Intestine - Duodenum, Jejunum, Ileum.
6. Large Intestine - Cecum and Appendix, Ascending Colon, Traverse Colon, Descending Colon, Pelvic Colon/Sigmoid, Rectal and Anal Canal.

Question 5

What are the four glands of the digestive system?

Answer 5

1. Salivary Glands:
Parotid glands, Submandibular glands, Sublingual glands
2. Gall bladder
3. Liver
4. Pancreas

Question 6

What does adequate mastication do for the body?

Answer 6

Thoroughly mixing saliva (a slightly alkaline secretion that is linked to good health and longevity) with the food that is then lubricated and introduced into digestion with enzymes starting with ptyalin that splits starch into simpler parts. This process also leads the stomach to secreting the right amount of gastric juices that will then result in the right coding and clarity of digestion.

Question 7

What is the masticated mass of food called and how is it lubricated for swallowing?

Answer 7

Bolus is the masticated mass of food that is lubricated by “Mucin” to facilitated swallowing.

Question 8

What is serous?

Answer 8

It’s a clear salty fluid with sodium and potassium that also contain ptyalin, an enzyme for breaking starches into dextrins and maltose.

Question 9

What is the stomach?

Answer 9

The stomach is a dilation of the gastrointestinal tract with three parts that are called, fundus, body, and pylorus.

Question 10

What is chyme?

Answer 10

The semi-liquid result of the commingled food with the gastric juices.

Question 11

What are the enzymes secreted by the stomach?

Answer 11

Rennin: Clots milk
Lipase: Fat splitting
Peptinogen: In the presence of HCI breaks down proteins to peptides.
HCl: Kills bacteria and renders some minerals like Fa and Cl.
Mucin: Protects muca from its own secretions.

Question 12

What is the pancreas?

Answer 12

A soft, yellowish, multi-lobed glandular organ with 7 inches length and 1 to 1.5 inches wide. It resembles a dog’s tongue.

Question 13

What are two types of secretions of the pancreas?

Answer 13

one kind is secreted into the digestive tract where is helps with the formation and secretion of digestive enzymes, and insulin which interacts with the levels of blood sugar.