Digestive System

• Saliva contains amylase, which breaks down carbohydrates into simple sugars.
• carbs and proteins are absorbed into the circulatory sytem
• fats are broken down by bile to form fatty acids and glycerol
• pancreas produces enzymes that break down carbs, fats, and protein
• bile is produced by liver and stored in gall bladder
• enzymes from pancreas enter duodenum through pancreatic duct
• gall bladder stores bile until needed
• small intestine absorbs nutrients from food
• small intestine has three parts: duodenum (1st part), jejunum (2nd part), ileum (3rd part)
• villi are finger like projections that increase the surface area for absorption in the small intestine
• microvilli are tiny hair-like structures on villi which further increases the surface area for absorption in the small intestine
• bolus is the lump of chewed food that moves into the stomach
• liver produces bile
• nucleotidase is an enzyme that breaks the subunits of DNA and RNA into phosphate, sugar, and nitrogenous base
• trypsinogen is the inactive form of trysin
• proteins get broken down into amino acids
• peptidases break proteins into peptides
• lacteal is a small capillary of the lymphatic found on the villi which absorbs fats
• maltase works in the duodenum to digest maltose
• gastric juice contains HCL and pepsin
• mucus is a substance that lines the stomach to project it from damage
• bile neutralizes acidity in the intestine
• fat is broken down by bile
• bile works to emulsify fats, separating large drops into tiny droplets
• chime is the slurry of water and partially digested food that moves from the stomach into the duodenum
• common bile duct carries bile from the gall bladder to the duodenum
• rugae are the folds in the walls of the stomach
• pyloric sphincter regulates the amount of chyme which is passed from the stomach to the duodenum
• rectum stores feces before it is eliminated from the body
• esophagus and the intestines move food along using muscle contractions called peristalsis
• glucagon: a hormone formed in the pancreas which promotes the breakdown of glycogen to glucose in the liver.
• large intestine is responsible for the absorption of water after the digestive process is complete
• insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas and is used to control blood glucose levels
• stomach is a large sac where the digestion of proteins begins
• nasopharynx is the region at the back of the throat where the mouth, nasal cavity and the top of the esophagus all meet
• lactase is an enzyme that breaks down the disaccharides found in cows milk
• small intestine is responsible for both absorption and digestion of nutrients
• peptidase works in the small intestine to digest peptides
• pancreatic amylase acts on the duodenum to break down starch
• uvula covers the internal areas during swallowing