Unit 4- The Digestive System Flashcards
1
Q
Define mastication
A
Chewing
2
Q
Describe the structure of the digestive system
A
One long tube from the mouth to the anus
3
Q
Which organs are a part of the digestive system?
A
Mouth, pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, small intestine, large intestine, rectum and anus
4
Q
What is the main function of the digestive system?
A
Break down molecules which cannot be absorbed intact into smaller molecules that can be absorbed into the blood stream
5
Q
How is food made easier to swallow in the oral cavity?
A
Saliva is secreted from the salivary glands
6
Q
How does the body ensure that food doesn’t go down the trachea?
A
The epiglottis closes when we swallow, cutting of access to trachea
7
Q
Define oesophagus
A
Muscular tube that squeezes food down to stomach
8
Q
Define peristalsis
A
Action of food being squeezed down to stomach
9
Q
Define stomach
A
Muscular sack that churns food around and begins chemical digestion
10
Q
What is food called after leaving the stomach?
A
Chyme
11
Q
Where does chyme go after leaving the stomach?
A
Duodenum
12
Q
Define duodenum
A
First part of small intestine
13
Q
What is the function of the duodenum?
A
Where food mixes with bile from the gallbladder and digestive juices from the pancreas
14
Q
Where is bile made?
A
Liver
15
Q
Where is bile stored?
A
Gallbladder
16
Q
Where are the digestive juices produced?
A
Pancreas
17
Q
What do the digestive juices contain?
A
Digestive enzymes and alkaline salts
18
Q
How do the digestive juices get to the duodenum?
A
Via the pancreatic duct
19
Q
Define the pancreatic duct?
A
Tube from pancreas to gut
20
Q
What are the three sections to the small intestine?
A
Duodenum, Jejunum and Ileum
21
Q
Describe the structure of the ileum
A
Covered in villi, like a thick carpet
22
Q
Define villi
A
Small finger-like projections, containing blood vessels
23
Q
What happens in the Ileum?
A
Nutrients are absorbed into the blood
24
Q
Which substances move onto the large intestine?
A
Water and food substances that can’t be broken down chemically
25
What is the large intestine also called?
The colon
26
What lives in the colon?
Trillions of bacteria
27
What is the function of the bacteria in the colon?
Feed off undigested food
| Produce intestinal gas
28
What happens in the large intestine?
Food and dead bacteria is dried out to form faeces
29
Where is faeces stored?
Rectum
30
Define rectum?
Muscular tube that expels waste
31
What are the symptoms of IBS?
```
Bloating
Constipation
Diarrhoea
Abdominal pain
Indigestion
Flatulence
```
32
What does IBS stand for?
Irritable bowel syndrome
33
What are the believed causes of IBS?
Oversensitive nerves
Stress
Genetics
Slow/fast digestion
34
What are the common triggers of IBS symptoms?
Alcohol
Caffeine
Fatty/spicy foods
Stress/anxiety
35
What do doctors advise if an individual is experiencing symptoms of IBS?
Avoiding processed foods
Keeping a food diary to identify triggers
Reduce stress
Try probiotics
36
What medication is offered to treat the bloating that comes with IBS?
Bus cop an
37
What medication is used to treat diarrhoea that comes with IBS?
Imodium/Loperamide
38
What medication is used to treat constipation that comes with IBS?
Fybogel or Celevac
39
What type of diet is recommend by dieticians to manage symptoms of IBS?
Low FODMAP diet
40
What does the low FODMAP diet consist of?
Avoiding difficult-to-digest foods such as some types of fruit, milk + wheat product
41
What type of treatment is offered if stress and anxiety is identified as an IBS trigger?
CBT
42
What are gall stones made up of?
Cholesterol
43
What causes gallstones?
Imbalance in bile composition
44
How are gallstones formed?
High levels of cholesterol + bilirubin result in formation of crystals that clump to form gallstones
45
What are the risk factors for developing gallstones?
```
Being female
Obesity
40+
Existing liver damage
IBS
Family history of gallstones
```
46
What are the symptoms of gallstones?
```
Abdominal pain
Sweats
Nausea/vomiting
Jaundice
Confusion
Loss of appetite
```
47
How is an individual diagnosed with gallstones?
Ultrasound, CT scan or cholangiography
48
What is a cholangiography?
Using a dye to show any abnormalities in the bile/pancreatic systems
49
What is CT scan?
Many x-rays being taken from many angles
50
How are gallstones treated if an individual isn’t experiencing any symptoms?
Active monitoring
51
What is active monitoring?
Letting GP know if and when symptoms are being experienced
52
What increases the likelihood of an individual needing treatment for gallstones?
Diabetes
| Cirrhosis
53
What treatment is offered for gall stones if an individual is experiencing mild and infrequent pain?
Painkillers
54
What treatment is offered for gallstones if the pain is severe and frequent?
Surgery
55
What are the types of surgery offered to treat gallstones?
Keyhole surgery
Open surgery
ERCP
56
What is keyhole surgery? (In relation to gallstones)
A laparoscope is inserted into the body via small incisions on the abdomen, and removes the gallstones
57
What is open surgery? (In relation to gallstones)
If a keyhole is unsuccessful, a larger incision is made to remove the gallbladder completely
58
What is an ECRP? (In relation to gallstones)
Endoscope passed down mouth to the bile duct and is widened using a hot wire or small incision, to allow gallstones into small intestine
59
What is a laparoscope?
Long thin tube with camera and light at the end
| Used in laparoscopy
60
What is an endoscope?
Long, thin, flexible tube with a light and camera at the end
| Used in endoscopy
61
What does ERCP stand for?
Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography
62
What medication is sometimes offered to dissolve gallstones?
Ursodeoxycholic acid tablets
63
How are gallstones prevented?
Avoid saturated fat
Drinking small amounts of alcohol
Regularly eating nuts
Losing weight
64
What is coeliac disease?
Autoimmune disease where immune system attacks own tissues when gluten is consumed, damaging small intestine and hindering digestion
65
What is gluten?
Dietary protein found in wheat, barley and rye
66
What are the symptoms of coeliac disease?
```
Stomach ache
Bloating
Constipation/diarrhoea
Infertility
Fatigue
Ataxia
```
67
What is ataxia?
Disorder that affects co-ordination, balance and speech
68
What is the primary treatment of coeliac disease?
Following a gluten-free diet
69
What are the complications of coeliac disease?
Osteoporosis
Anaemia
Vitamin deficiency
70
What happens in the body of someone with coeliac disease whe gluten is consumed?
Immune system mistakes gliadin as threat and the antibodies produced cause inflammation of the intestine, flattening villi and reducing ability to digest food
71
How is coeliac disease diagnosed?
Blood test + biopsy
72
What is mechanical digestion?
Food being physically broken down into molecules small enough to be used by enzymes
73
Where is mechanical digestion carried out?
The mouth and the stomach
74
What is food called once it reaches the stomach?
Chyme
75
What is chemical digestion?
Enzymes chemically changing nutrients into smaller, soluble units
76
Name the 4 types of digestive juice
Saliva
Gastric juice
Pancreatic juice
Intestinal juice
77
Where is saliva produced?
Salivary glands in the mouth
78
Where is gastric juice produced?
Gastric glands in stomach
79
Where is pancreatic juice produced?
Pancreas
80
Where is intestinal juice produced?
Intestinal glands in small intestine
81
Which digestive enzymes are contained in saliva?
Ptyalin
Mucin
Amylase
82
Which digestive enzymes are contained within gastric juice?
Pepsin
83
Which digestive enzymes are contained within Pancreatic juice?
Pancreatic amylase
Trypsin
Lipase
84
Which digestive enzymes are contained within intestinal juice?
Lactase, maltase and sucrase
Peptidase
Lipase
85
What does Ptyalin, Mucin
| + Amylase work on?
Changing starch into complex sugar
86
What does Pepsin work on?
Changing proteins into simpler proteins
87
What does pancreatic amylase work on?
Turning starch into complex sugar
88
What does trypsin work on?
Turing proteins into simpler proteins
89
What does lipase work on?
Turning fats into fatty acids and glycerol
90
Where is hydrochloric acid produced?
Pits in the stomach walls
91
What enzyme does the hydrochloric acid in the stomach activate?
Pepsin
92
What does pepsin do?
Breaks down proteins into polypeptides
93
How is chyme neutralised as it enters the duodenum?
Adding alkali salts to make it slightly alkaline
94
Where do the alkali salts in the duodenum come from?
Bile+pancreatic juice
95
Why does water in the gut present a problem for the digestion of fat?
Fat and water don’t mix
96
How is fat digested in the gut?
Salts in the bile act as a detergent, breaking up fat into globules that form an emulsion, allowing enzymes to reach the molecules
97
What is the function of the liver?
Produce bile and send it to the gallbladder
98
What is the function of bile?
Break down fats in the duodenum
99
Where does all blood pass through after leaving the stomach?
Liver
100
Describe the structure of the gallbladder
hollow, muscular and pear-shaped
| 3x1.5 inches
101
Where does the tapered end of the gall bladder connect to?
The cystic duct, which connects to the common hepatic duct. Both merge to form common bile duct
102
Describe the structure of the pancreas
6 inches long
103
What is the function of the pancreas in the endocrine system?
Secrete insulin and glucagon
104
What is the function of insulin?
Lower blood glucose when levels are too high
105
What is the function of glucagon?
Increases blood glucouse when levels are too low
