PARTS OF THE DIGESTIVE TRACT

• Salivary glands produce saliva, which moistens food and begins the breakdown of carbohydrates.
• Large Intestine - Absorbs water from undigested material and forms feces.
• Anus - Exits for solid wastes (feces).
• Accessory Organs - Liver, Gallbladder, Pancreas and Salivary glands
• Rectum - Stores feces until it is eliminated through defecation.
• Salivary Glands - Release saliva containing amylase, an enzyme that begins breaking down starch into sugar.
• Saliva moistens food and begins the process of breaking down starch.
• The mouth has teeth (incisors, canines, premolars, molars) for grinding food and tongue for mixing with saliva.
• Four stages of food processing: Ingestion, Digestion, Assimilation/absorption and Elimination
• Elimination is where undigested food are removed from the body
• The building blocks of carbohydrates are simple sugars such as, glucose, fructose and galactose
• Mechanical digestion breaks down large particles of food into smaller ones by physical means.
• Parotid Glands are located in front of or below the ears
• Sublingual Glands are found under the tongue
• Submandibular Glands are found below the jaw at the back of the mouth
• Saliva consists of, water, mucus and salivary amylase
• Epiglottis is a flap tissue that automatically closes the trachea when swallowing
• Parietal cells release hydrochloric acid that destroys ingested microorganisms or bacteria
• Chief cells secrete protein-digesting enzymes called pepsin and renin
• G-cells secrete hormone gastrin, a protein that controls acid secretion
• Gastric juice, a combination of hydrochloric acid, mucus, hormones and enzymes
• Muscular Contraction - causes the mixing of the food with gastric juices , forming a liquid called chyme
• Small intestine - the longest part of the alimentary canal, measuring about 6m long and 2.5cm
• Ileum - the longest and most coiled part
• Jejunum - middle part