key words

• salivary glands


  glands found in the mouth that start the chemical digestion process, secreting important enzymes.
• villi


  projections of epithelial cells that line the ileum, part of its adaptations to increase surface area and absorption rate,
• oesophagus


  a cartilage supported tube that runs from the mouth to the stomach.
• microvilli 


  each villus is comprised of further hair-like projections, they increase the surface area available for absorption.
• stomach


  a muscular sac that adds further enzymes and digestive acids to the food mix, this helps the process. The muscles of the stomach allows it so churn the food to help with mechanical digestion.
• colon


  the large intestine, water is absorbed here.
• rectum


  stores waste solids temporarily
• faeces


  the scientific name for waste solids.
• ileum


  the small intestine, its surfaces are specially adapted to allow the absorption of digestion products into the blood stream.
• anus


  the terminal end of the digestive system where faeces is expelled, and waste removed from the body.
• sphincter


  a type of muscular biological valve, eg: the anus.
• micelles


  the resulting droplets formed in emulsification, aggregated lipids split into smaller groups.
• mechanical digestion


  the physical processes of digestion, eg: chewing and churning.
• cholesterol 


  an important sterol fat, involving in metabolism of lipids.
• chemical digestion 


  the actions of chemicals, like enzymes and acids, to help the breakdown of food particles into constituent nutrients.
• lipoproteins


  an important biochemical structure that transports lipids.
• membrane bound disaccharides


  a group of enzymes that breakdown disaccharides that is restricted to the epithelial surface membranes of the ileum not entering the lumen.
• chylomicron


  the structure that results when lipoproteins, cholesterol and triglycerides come together to transport the triglyceride.
• lacteals


  a specialist lymphatic vessel able to absorb digested lipids
• emulsification 


  the splitting of fats into tiny droplets called micelles, increases surface area.