The function of digestion Flashcards
What is the structural organization of multicellular organisms?
Atoms, molecules, organelles, tissues, organs, organ systems, and organism
What does the digestive system do?
Breaks down food into a soluble state so that it can be absorbed and used for energy
What is the lymphatic system?
It is the system of fluids, where they would take any leaking fluid from the vessels and bring them back. This also involves immune system (white blood cells)
What is the organ system interrelationship (plus examples)?
How systems relate to each other.
ex. Skin system protects the body from outside, digestive and respiratory systems both take nutrients and oxygen (disturbed by blood) from the outside, waste is released by respiratory system (CO2) and urinary system
What 3 fluids are we made of?
Fluid in the cytoplasm, fluid between the cells, and fluid in the blood
What are some inorganic matter in these fluids?
Hydrogen ions, water, etc. Inorganic meaning non living
What are the macromolecule groups and what is another name for them?
- Carbs, protein, lipids, and nucleic acid
- Essential nutrients
What is the chemical equation of carbs?
For every 1 C = 2 H + 1 O = CH2O
What are the types of carbs?
- simple sugars
- Polysaccharides
What are simple sugars?
- the smallest unit of carbs that is able to fit through the cell membrane
- monosaccharides (1 sugar) = 3-7 carbon (any of the -oses)
- disaccharides (2 sugars) = 2 monosaccharides (any type of food)
What is a polysaccharide?
- Multiple simple sugars connected together
- known as complex carbs (anything that sounds complex)
What are the properties of lipids?
- Insoluble in water
- Structure = molecule of glycerol with 3 carbon atoms –> attached to fatty acid chain (acid with long tail of carbon and hydrogen atom)
- Function as energy storage molecules
- Digestion starts in small intestine
Properties of protein:
- made from subunits of amino acids –> bond together and make peptide bonds to form a chain of polypeptides
- made of C, H, O, S, P, N
- Enzymes are special proteins
Properties of nucleic acid:
- Help growth and development using chemical code
- 2 types = RNA and DNA
What is macromolecules?
small molecules come together to make a very large molecule. Which are used a nutrients to give energy, regulate cell activities, and build/repair issues
What is metabolism?
Total of chemical reactions that occur in an organism
What is essential nutrients?
nutrients that the body can not produce → obtain from food
What is monosccharides?
simple sugar that have 3-7 carbon atoms
What is disaccharide?
a sugar made of 2 monosaccharides molecules
What is polusaccharides?
large molecule made up of many linked monosaccharide molecules
What is glycogen?
a type of polysaccharide made up of glucose units
What are lipids?
organic compound that does not dissolve in water
What are amino acids?
a building block of protein
What is peptide bonds?
a bond that holds together the amino acid in protein
What is polypeptide?
a chain of several amino acids linked by peptide
What are the main functions of carbs?
- provides materials to build cell membrane
- provide quick energy for use by cells
What is the main function of lipids?
- store energy reserve for later use by cells
- cushion and insulate internal organs
- provide materials to build cell membrane
Main functions of proteins?
- provide structure and support blood cells, tissues and muscles
- aid in muscle movement like contraction
- act as catalysts
- provide immunity against infection and diseases
- transport ions in cell membrane
Main functions of nucleic acid?
- contain the organism’s genetic information
- direct the organism’s growth
What is the main function of hydrolysis?
to chemically breakdown foods with adding water molecules with the use of enzymes
What does the enzymes do for hydrolysis?
helps break the bond and acts as a catalysts
What are the 4 types of enzymes?
- Carbohydrase –> carbs
- Lipase –> lipids
- Protease –> protein
- Nuclease –> nucleic acid
What does carbs + carbohydrase produce?
- Simple sugars (monosaccharides)
What do lipase and lipids produce?
glycerol and fatty acids
What does protease and protein produce?
Amino acids
What does nuclease and nucleic acid produce?
nucleotides
What is the key function of calcium?
- forming bones
- conducting nerve signals
- contracting muscles
- clotting blood
What is the key function of Iron?
- produces hemoglobins
What is the key function of magnesium?
- supporting enzymes functions
- producing protein
What is the key function of potassium?
- conducting nerve signals
- contracting muscles
What is the key function of sodium?
- conducting nerve signals
- balance body fluids
What is the key function of vitamin A?
- good vision
- healthy skin and bones
What is the key function of vitamin B1?
- metabolizing carbs
- growth and muscle tone
What is the key function of vitamin C?
- healthy bones, teeth, gums, and blood vessels
- boost immune system
What is the key function of vitamin D?
- absorb calcium
- forming bones
What is the key function of vitamin E?
- strengthening red blood cell membrane
What is the main roles of water?
- Transport nutrients to cells (small intestine
- Flush toxins
- Lubricate joints and tissues
- Forms essential fluids (blood and mucus)
- Regulating blood temp by sweating
- Eliminating waste by urine and sweat
What are the types of feeding mechanisms?
- filter feeders (suck in water to get small organisms)
- Substrate feeders (live in their own food)
- Fluid feeders (suck/lick nutrient rich things)
- Bulk feeders (eat large pieces of meat)
What is the digestion process?
- ingestion - eating food
- digestion - breakdown of food by mechanical and chemical process → turn to molecules
- absorption - transporting molecules from digestive system to circulatory system to rest of the body
- elimination
What is an alimentary canal?
- digestive track
- 1 end = mouth
- another end = anus
What is the process of alimentary canal in humans?
- Food enters in mouth and physical is broken by teeth
- Food is further broken as it goes through the digestive tract by muscular contractions → called mechanical digestion
a) Ex. chewing (mastication), peristalsis (wave like contraction in esophagus), grinding and churning in stomach for further mechanical digestion - fluid-releasing glands (salivary amylase) in the mouth and digestive tract add liquid and enzymes → chemical digestion –> where energy is released
Why do herbivores and omnivores have longer digestive tract?
Due to the fact that plants have cellulose walls and it becomes harder to break down -> so they need that extra time for digestion
