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Digestion Review
Vocabulary for the digestive system
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Where teeth mechanically break down food and enzymes in saliva chemically break down food | mouth |
| produces saliva that is used to moisten food and contains enzymes that turn sugar into starch | salivary glands |
| epiglottis | a flap of tissue that covers the windpipe when you swallow preventing food from entering |
| stomach | stomach muscles churn food, mechanically breaking it down, while the enzyme pepsin chemically breaks down proteins |
| pancreas | produces enzymes that are sent to the small intestine to break down starches, proteins, and fats. |
| liver | produces bile that is sent to the gallbladder |
| gallbladder | stores bile and releases it into the small intestine |
| small intestine | where almost all chemical digestion occurs and absorption of nutrient molecules takes place |
| large intestine | where water is absorbed into the blood stream and remaining material is readied for excretion out of the body |
| rectum | short tube at the end of the large intestine where waste material is compressed into a solid |
| enzyme | proteins that speed up chemical reactions in the body |
| digestion | the process by which food is broken down into small nutrient molecules that are used by the body for energy |
| absorption | the process by which nutrient molecules are absorbed through the walls of the digestive system into the bloodstream |
| villi | tiny finger-shaped structures that cover the inner surface of the small intestine through which nutrients are absorbed |
| peristalsis | involuntary waves of muscle contraction that keep food moving down toward the stomach |
Created by:
jlodico