key words

• salivary glands 


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


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


  a muscular sac that adds further enzymes to the food mix as well as digestive acids that help with the process. The muscles of the stomach allow it to churn the food to help further with mechanical digestion.
• ileum


  the small intestine. Its surfaces are specially adapted to allow the absorption of digestion products into the blood stream.
• villi


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


  each villus is comprised of further hair like projections called microvilli. They increase the surface area available for absorption.
• colon


  the large intestine. Absorbs water.
• rectum


  stores waste solids temporarily.
• faeces


  the scientific name for waste solids.
• anus


  the termina lend of the digestive system where faeces if expelled, and waste removed from the body.
• sphincter


  a type of muscular biological valve. eg: the anus.
• mechanical digestion 


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


  the actions of chemicals like enzymes and acids to help the break down of food particles into constituent nutrients.
• membrane-bound disaccharides


  a group of enzymes that breakdown disaccharides that is restricted to the epithelial surface membranes of the ileum rather than entering the lumen itself.
• emulsification


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


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


  an important sterol fat, involved into smaller groups.
• lipoproteins.


  an important biochemical structure that transports lipids
• 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.