Biology > Digestive System > Flashcards

Digestive System Flashcards

(81 cards)

Study These Flashcards
1
Q

Define ‘heterotrophic’

A

Animals that obtain the nutrients they need to survive from plants or other animal tissue

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the seven nutrient groups?

A

. Proteins
. Carbohydrates
. Lipids (fats)
. Vitamins
. Minerals
. Fibre
. Water

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is the function of proteins?

A

. Growth and maintenance of all body cells and tissues

. Forms haemoglobin

. A source of energy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the function of carbohydrates?

A

Supply energy to the cells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is the function of lipids?

A

. Supply and store energy

. Insulate, support and cushion organs

. Involved in absorption of soluble vitamins

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the function of vitamins?

A

Promotes specific chemical reactions within cells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is the function of minerals?

A

. Growth and maintenance of bones and teeth

. Involved in osmoregulation, nerve transmission, muscle contraction and transport systems

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is the function of fibre?

A

Regulates normal bowel function for better digestion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is the function of water?

A

. 50-70% of body weight

. Provides a medium for chemical reactions

. Transports chemicals, regulated temperature and removes waste products

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are the two processes of digestion?

A

. Mechanical digestion

. Chemical digestion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is mechanical digestion?

A

Large pieces of food are ingested and physically broken down into smaller pieces

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is chemical digestion?

A

Larger molecules of food are broken down into smaller molecules by enzymes, acid, and bile

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What are the herbivore dentition adaptations?

A

. Tongue to grasp plants

. Dental pad gathers large quantities of grass

. Sharp lower incisors to cut grass

. Diastema provides more room for the tongue to move food for better chewing

. Large amounts of saliva with cellulase to break down cellulose

. Continually growing molars - prevent erosion by silica in plants

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are the carnivore dentition adaptations?

A

. Canine teeth to grab and keep a strong hold on prey

. Carnassial teeth to strip meat

. Only move jaw vertically for more power in tearing meat

. Incisors nip pieces of meat and strip flesh

. Saliva doesn’t contain enzyme cellulase so they can’t digest cellulose

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What happens to food when it enters the mouth?

A

. Broken down mechanically by teeth and tongue

. Chemical digestion starts with amylase that breaks down starch into short-chain carbohydrates

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What happens to food down the oesophagus?

A

. Peristalsis (involuntary muscle contractions) to move food from mouth to stomach

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What happens to food in the stomach?

A

. Hydrochloric acid and enzymes (proteases and lipases) are assed which break down food to form chyme

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is chyme?

A

Thick, partially digested food mix

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What happens to food in the duodenum (first part of small intestine)?

A

. Bile emulsifies fats and neutralises stomach acids

. More enzymes (made by the pancreas) are added

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What happens to food in the jejunum and ileum (last two parts of small intestine)?

A

Nutrients are absorbed and taken to cells to use for storage

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What happens to food in the large intestine?

A

Water and some water-soluble vitamins are absorbed through the villi

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What are villi and their function?

A

. Hair/finger like projections that increase surface area for more effective absorption of water

. Contain a network of capillaries to allow the effective diffusion of molecules

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What happens to food in the rectum?

A

Waste material is stored here until it leaves the body via the anus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is the order of places in the monogastric digestive system?

A

. Mouth
. Oesophagus
. Stomach
. Duodenum
. Jejunum
. ileum
. Large intestine
. Rectum

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
What is the function of the pancreas?
. Produces enzymes . Produces hormones such as insulin and glucagon
26
What is the function of the liver?
. Regulates blood sugar and cholesterol . Produces bile . Stores fat-soluble vitamins and essential minerals
27
What are the 3 parts of the small intestine?
1st -> Duodenum 2nd -> Jejunum 3rd -> ileum
28
What happens when there is an increase in blood glucose concentration?
. Detected by pancreatic beta cells . Insulin released into the blood . Liver and muscle cells remove glucose from the blood . Liver converts glucose into glycogen . Blood sugar decreases
29
What happens when there is a decrease in blood glucose concentration?
. Detected by pancreatic alpha cells . Glucagon released into the blood . Liver cells convert glycogen into glucose . Liver releases glucose into the blood . Blood sugar increases
30
What is the transit time for monogastric digestion?
20 hours
31
What is the digestion process called in monogastric animals?
Enzymatic digestion
32
What are enzymes and what is their function?
. Proteins that act as a biological catalyst . Speeds up essential chemical reactions . Break down large molecules into smaller ones
33
What does amylase break down?
. Starch and glycogen . Into simple sugars - Maltose and glucose
34
What does protease break down?
. Proteins . Into smaller molecules - amino acids
35
What does lipase break down?
. Lipids (fats) . Into smaller molecules - Fatty acids and glycerol
36
What does cellulase break down?
. Cellulose . Into simple sugars - Glucose
37
What is a ruminant?
A herbivorous animal that has a four-chambered stomach to digest complex plant matter via rumination
38
How long does a ruminant spend chewing per day?
8 hours
39
What is the rumen and its function?
. Largest chamber of the stomach . An anaerobic environment where microbes secrete cellulase . Where microbial fermentation occurs
40
What is mutualism? (ruminants)
The bacteria and ruminants both benefit from their relationship
41
What is reverse peristalsis (retro-peristalsis)?
Allows for feed to be brought back up to be broken down and mechanically chewed further
42
What is the reticulum and its function?
. “Little net” - catches foreign objects in its honeycomb structure . Filters food . Allows only parts which are sufficiently broken down to move to the omasum . Reverse peristalsis - chewing the cud
43
What is the omasum and its function?
. Layered structure . Contains villi increasing surface area . Absorbs some water and salts
44
What is the abomasum and its function?
. Similar to the monogastric stomach . Hydrochloric acid and enzymes digest proteins and fats . From here, chyme passes to the duodenum
45
What is the order parts in ruminant digestion?
. Mouth . Rumen . Reticulum . Chewing the cud . Omasum . Abomasum . Duodenum . Jejunum . ileum . Large intestine . Rectum
46
What is the digestion process called in ruminants?
Microbial fermentation
47
What is the transit time in ruminants?
As long as four days
48
What are volatile fatty acids (VFA’s)?
. Short-chain fatty acids . Produced during microbial fermentation in the rumen . Then absorbed through the rumen wall . Provides 70-80% energy needs . Main source of energy
49
What is methane and how is it produced?
. The by-product of microbial fermentation . Microbes in rumen produce excess H2 molecules combined to CO2 to create methane . If not secreted it can cause a build up of H2 causing rumen acidosis (lead to death) . Methane expelled through eructation
50
What is a foregut fermenter?
An animal where most of its digestion takes place in the stomach
51
What happens in the cecum of a hindgut fermenter?
. Undigested fibre reaches here . Bacteria and microflora ferment the fibre and break down cellulose . This releases VFA’s which are absorbed and used as energy
52
What are caecotropes?
A nutrient rich pellet which rabbits and guinea pigs must ingest in order to extract nutrients
53
What are the 3 adaptations for the oral cavity of a bird?
. No teeth as they do not chew their food - they swallow whole . Slit on roof of mouth (choana) to make breathing easier . Bones in tongue to make it tougher/harder
54
What is the crop and its function?
. A storage area . Allows birds to rapidly consume meals and digest them later in a safe location
55
What is the function of the proventriculus?
. Digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid are added to break down food particles
56
What is the function of the ventriculus (gizzard)?
. Food is mechanically digested . Birds don’t have teeth to chew so they ingest small stones . Muscular walls of the ventriculus churn food with the stones, grinding it down to make digestion more efficient
57
What is the function of two ceca (plural for caecum)?
. Where small and large intestine join . Water is absorbed . Food is fermented
58
What is the cloaca and its function?
. End of the digestive system . Mixes digestive and urinary waste, expelling them as one substance . Also the egg hole
59
What is the order of parts in the bird digestive system?
. Mouth . Oesophagus . Crop . Proventriculus . Ventriculus (gizzard) . Ceca . Cloaca
60
What is a hindgut fermenter?
An animal that relies on microbial fermentation to break down plant matter
61
Name 2 advantages of being a foregut fermenter?
. Extracts maximum nutrients from plants . Detoxifies plant compounds that can be harmful . More efficient absorption of VFA’s and microbial proteins
62
Name 2 disadvantages of being a foregut fermenter?
. Slow digestion rates . Rapid shifts in diet can cause imbalance and lead to health problems . Energy inefficiency with producing methane . Dependent on microbial protein
63
Name 2 advantages of being a hindgut fermenter?
. Faster absorption rates . Can graze and process food continuously . Better handling of low-quality, high fibre storage in big volumes
64
Name 2 disadvantages of being a hindgut fermenter?
. Less efficient cellulose digestion, leading to health problems . Delayed fermentation of end products (amino acids, microbial proteins) . Some need to eat caecotropes
65
Name 3 digestive disorders
. Diarrhoea . GI stasis . Sour crop . Hardware disease . Ruminant bloat
66
What is ruminant bloat?
An excessive build up of gas in the rumen that is trapped
67
What are the symptoms of ruminant bloat?
. Abdominal distension . Pain, discomfort . Lethargy . Bellowing . Respiratory distress
68
What are the two types of ruminant bloat?
. Frothy bloat . Free gas bloat
69
What are the consequences of ruminant bloat?
. Suffocation . Cardiac arrest . Death - pressure of heart & lungs . Lowers milk production . Vomitting . Inflammation of abdominal lining . Anorexia
70
What are the treatments for ruminant bloat?
. Stomach tube inserted to release gas build up . Emergency rumenotomy . Anti-foaming agent
71
What are the causes for sickness & diarrhoea?
. Unsuitable amounts of food . Unsuitable food types . Contaminated food . Stress . Pathogens
72
What are the symptoms of diarrhoea?
. Loose, watery excrement . Dehydration . Loss of appetite . Lethargy
73
What are the consequences of diarrhoea?
. Large loss of electrolytes . Malnutrition . Compromised immune system . More susceptible to diseases
74
What are the causes of hardware disease?
Ingestion of a foreign object (e.g nail, wire) that gets lodged in reticulum, penetrating through stomach wall
75
What are the symptoms of hardware disease?
. Severe pain when moving . Reluctance to walk . Weight loss . Loss of appetite . Increased heart rate . Abdominal distension
76
What are the consequences of hardware disease?
. Infection in reticulum . Spread of infection (peritonitis) . Heart damage
77
What are the treatments of hardware disease?
. Rumen magnet - attracts object to not cause further damage . Penicillin - control infection . Limit movement
78
What are the causes of frothy bloat?
. Soluble proteins & other compounds from plants form a stable foam . Stable foam formed in rumen traps gas produced in digestion
79
What are the causes of free gas bloat?
. Physical obstruction preventing burping (e.g potato) . Unable to relieve pressure from gas buildup
80
Give 2 ways in how birds’ beaks are adapted to feed
. Hooked tip - tear meat/food . Strong/hard - break nuts . Long/narrow - suck nectar . Sharp/pointed - spear fish
81
Name 3 examples of mechanical digestion
. Churning in stomach . Teeth in chewing . Bile in duodenum . Grinding stones in gizzard
Biology
flashcards
Decks in class (16)
# Cards
Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2026 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions