Topic 2 - The Alimentary Canal

Question 1

what happens in the mouth?

Answer 1

1. salivary glands in the mouth produce amylase enzymes in the saliva
2. teeth break down food

Question 2

what is the oesophagus?

Answer 2

the muscular tube that connects the mouth and the stomach

Question 3

what happens in the liver?

Answer 3

bile is produced

Question 4

what happens in the gallbladder?

Answer 4

bile is stored

Question 5

what happens in the large intestine?

Answer 5

excess water is absorbed from food

Question 6

what is the rectum and what happens in it?

Answer 6

1. the last part of the large intestine
2. where faeces are stored before they leave through the anus

Question 7

what happens in the stomach?

Answer 7

1. food is pummeled with the stomachs walls
2. produces the protease enzyme, pepsin
3. produces HCl to kill bacteria and to give the optimum pH for the protease enzyme

Question 8

what happens in the pancreas?

Answer 8

produces protease, amylase and lipase enzymes. it releases them into the small enzyme

Question 9

what happens in the small intestine?

Answer 9

1. produces protease, amylase and lipase enzymes to complete digestion
2. this is where nutrients are absorbed out of the alimentary canal into the body

Question 10

what are the two parts of the small intestine?

Answer 10

1. duodenum
2. ileum

Question 11

how is the small intestine adapted for food absorption?

Answer 11

1. its very long
2. large surface area
3. good blood supply

Question 12

how does the length of the small intestine help absorbtion?

Answer 12

gives time to break down and absorb all the food

Question 13

how are villi adapted for absorbtiuon?

Answer 13

villi increase surface area of the walls on the small intestine. villi contain mirovilli to increase surface area even more.
villi have a singular permeable layer of surface cells to decrease diffusion distance
they have a good blood supply to create a high concentration gradient.