The Digestive system in animals Flashcards
Information included in this deck: -Food and Digestion (steve parker) - 3.5 digestive system (powerpoint) - 3.5 The Digestive system (textbook chapter)
Name the main parts of the digestive system
- mouth
- salivary glands
- oesophagus (gullet)
- stomach
- small intestine
- rectum
- liver
- anus
- appendix
- pancreas
- large intestine (colon)
Before food is absorbed by the body, it must be broken down into tiny pieces called molecules. Why must they be small?
They must be small enough to dissolve in water so that they can pass through the wall of the digestive tube into the body
Glands along the length of the digestive system produce strong chemicals such as what?
acids, alkalis and enzymes which attack food chemically, breaking them into smaller and smaller pieces
There are several kinds of enzymes, and each one breaks down a certain kind of food, give examples
pepsin and trypsin attack protein foods such as meats - amylase and maltase work on carbohydrate food. fats do not dissolve into water, instead forming bob-lie droplets (emulsified) and then worked on enzymes called lipases
Some enzymes work in acidic conditions, while others need alkaline surrounding - explain further.
ass foods move through each region of the digestive system, they are flooded with mixtures of acid and enzymes, or alkali and enzymes. these corrosive liquids gradually break down the food substances
A typical part of the gut such as the intestine is made up of several layers - what are they?
mucosa (inner lining) submucosa inner muscle layer outer muscle layer serosa (outer coating)
Describe the mucosa
The inner lining is called the mucosa and may be wrinkled or folded to give a large surface area for the production of digestive chemicals and absorption of nutrients. this layer contains many microscopic glands which pour out, or secrete, the many digestive chemicals such as enzymes, acids and alkali.
Describe the submucosa
Around the submucosa which is tough and elastic and forms a strong “framework” for the gut. it contains blood vessels that nourish the other layers and nerves that control the muscles of the gut. The gut muscles are wrapped around the submucosa and form the next two layers and act to push food through the inside of the gut by the process of peristalsis
The gut is long and folded - most of it is tightly paced into the abdomen and internal body pressure squashes it flat - how does this impact food passing through it?
Foods cannot pass through it unaided and must be pushed. The process of peristalsis moves the food, its journey is lubricated by the slippery mucus in the gut wall.
Peristalsis involves what?
a muscular action involving both muscle layers working in a coordinated fashion - two nerve networks control the muscles. first the inner layer just behind the food contracts making the gut narrower at the this point and pushes the food forward a little. then the outer muscle layer contracts to shorten the length of that part of the gut and at the same time the narrowed portion moves along the gut, pushing the food in front of it.
The mouth is the first region of the gut and the ____ and _____ process of digestion
Physical and chemical
As we chew what is produced?
salvia is produced from the glands around the mouth and is mixed with the food. it helps to soften, moisten and lubricate the food ready for swallowing.
What enzyme does salvia contain?
amylase which begins the chemical attack on carbohydrates
Teeth do what?
The chewing and biting, cutting and mashing the food into pulpy lumps so it can be easily swallowed.
What is the second main region of the gut
the oesophagus
describe the oesophagus
it is a muscular tube, long, just behind the trachea connecting the throat to the stomach
what happens as you swallow?
the tongue pushes a lump of food towards the back of the mouth and into the pharynx. as this happens the top of the trachea rises upward and a small flap the epiglottis folds over to cover its entrance which prevents the food going down the wrong way.
What is at the base of the oesophagus?
A valve-like arrangement of muscle called the oesophageal sphincter which is normally tightly closed. as the food arrives from above the valve relaxes and allows the food to pass through into the stomach and closes again to seal off the passageway
Describe the stomach
A very tough, muscular, J-shaped bag.
How does the stomach squash the food
The muscles in the stomach will contract strongly in peristaltic waves to churn and squash foods that have already been chewed in the mouth
Where does the oesophagus join the stomach?
near its broad upper part, called the fundus. the lower part, the pylorus does most of the churning and this is where the main digestive processes occur
The stomach lining contains what?
millions of tiny glands, these make digestive liquid called gastric juice which contains the chemical hydrochloric acid. the acid attacks the food and softens it as a part of the process of chemical digestion.
What else do the glands in the stomach lining make?
an enzyme-like substance, pepsinogen. when this meets the stomach acid it is converted into the enzyme pepsin which begins to digest the proteins in the food.
What is the soupy sloppy food which leaves the stomach called?
chyme