What is the purpose of the digestive system?
Breaking down the food we eat, absorbing nutrients, eliminating waste
How does food move through the digestive tract?
Peristalsis
Name the 3 salivary glands
Parotid
Submandibular
Sublingual
What stops food entering the windpipe?
The epiglottis
After swallowing, food moves from where to where?
Pharynx to oesophagus
(Then from there to the stomach)
The stomach breaks down food via a process of what?
Chemical digestion
Name the 4 layers of the stomach wall and their purpose
Mucosa - lining
Submucosa - connective tissue
Muscular layer - for peristalsis
Aeros’s - outer layer
What happens within the stomach?
Gastric juices (inc hydrochloric acid) and enzymes help break down food.
Pepsin (enzyme) begins protein digestion and b12 absorption
What releases partially digested food from the stomach into the small intestine?
The pyloric sphincter
Function of the pancreas?
Plays a critical role in digestion and blood sugar regulation
What does the pancreas do?
It produces enzymes that digest carbs, proteins and fats
Regulates blood sugar
How does the pancreas regulate blood sugar?
By producing insulin and glucagon through its endocrine function
What can a deficiency in insulin cause?
Diabetes mellitus
What does the liver do?
Detoxifying toxins
Producing bile
Storing vitamins and minerals
What does bile do and where is it stored?
It emulsifies fats and aids digestion
Stored in the gallbladder (& is slowly released into the duodenum during digestion)
Where are the duodenum, jejunum and ileum located?
Small intestine
Purpose of the small intestine?
Where most nutrient absorption occurs.
Intestinal fluids help digest carbs, proteins and fats.
Villi enhance nutrient absorption
What connects the ileum to the large intestine and what does it do?
The ileocecal valve - prevents the back flow of waste
How long is the large intestine?
Around 1.5 meters
Purpose of the large intestine?
Absorbs water and sodium while incubating bacteria that produce vitamin K and B vitamins
How many sphincters within the rectum and anal canal?
2
One is under voluntary control, other is under autonomic control
Name the 3 common digestive disorders
Indigestion
Constipation
Food intolerances
What is indigestion?
(Also know as Dyspepsia). Discomfort or pain in the upper abdomen. Accompanied by bloating, nausea, or burning sensation.
Caused by overeating, eating too quickly or stress
