Term | Definition |
Absorption | The process of absorbing or assimilating substances into cells or across the tissues and organs through diffusion or osmosis, as in absorption of nutrients by the digestive system, |
Anaerobic Bacteria | Bacteria that do not require oxygen |
Anus | The end of the digestive trast |
Appendix | Extending from the inferior end of the large intestine’s cecum, the human appendix is a narrow pouch of tissue whose resemblance to a worm inspired its alternate name, vermiform (worm-like) appendix. |
Bile | A bitter, alkaline, brownish-yellow or greenish-yellow fluid that is secreted by the liver, stored in the gallbladder, and discharged into the duodenum and aids in the emulsification, digestion, and absorption of fats. |
Capillary | the smallest of a body's blood vessels and are parts of its microcirculation |
Cardiac Sphincter | the valve between the distal end of the esophagus and the stomach |
Chemical Digestion | the chemical breakdown of food into simpler compounds |
Digestive Enzyme | enzymes that break down polymeric macromolecules into their smaller building blocks, in order to facilitate their absorption by the body. |
Digestive Tract | the stomach and intestine, sometimes including all the structures from the mouth to the anus |
Duodenum | the first part of the small intestine. located between the stomach and the middle part of the small intestine. After foods mix with stomach acid, they move into the duodenum, where they mix with bile from the gallbladder and digestive juices. |
Emulsification | the breakdown of large fat globules into smaller, uniformly distributed particles. It is accomplished mainly by bile acids in the small intestine. |
Epiglottis | The epiglottis is a flap that is made of elastic cartilage tissue covered with a mucous membrane, attached to the entrance of the larynx. |
Esophagus | a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. |
Gall Bladder | a small organ where bile is stored, before it is released into the small intestine. |
Gastric Juice | a digestive fluid, formed in the stomach. It has a pH of 1-2 and is composed of hydrochloric acid |
Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) | a pH of 1-2 |
Insulin | a peptide hormone, produced by beta cells of the pancreas, and is central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. |
Intestinal Juice | the clear to pale yellow watery secretions from the glands lining the small intestine walls |
Lacteals | Role of lacteals include absorbing emulsified fats and glycerol into the lymphatic system. Lacteals are little lymph capillary which are found in villi in the ileum |
Large Intestine | the last part of the digestive system in vertebrate animals. Its function is to absorb water from the remaining indigestible food |
Lipase | a protein (enzyme) released by the pancreas into the small intestine. It helps the body absorb fat |
Liver | has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion. |
Maltase | an enzyme that breaks down the disaccharide maltose |
Microvillus | ) are microscopic cellular membrane protrusions that increase the surface area of cells,[1] and are involved in a wide variety of functions |
nuclease | Any enzyme that cleaves nucleic acids |
Pancreas | is a digestive organ, secreting pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes that assist digestion and absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. |
Pancreatic Amylase | Any of a group of enzymes that are present in saliva, pancreatic juice, and parts of plants and catalyze the hydrolysis of starch to sugar to produce carbohydrate derivatives. |
Pancreatic Juice | a liquid secreted by the pancreas, which contains a variety of enzymes, including trypsinogen, chymotrypsinogen, elastase, carboxypeptidase, pancreatic lipase, nucleases and amylase |
Pepsin | is an enzyme whose zymogen (pepsinogen) is released by the chief cells in the stomach and that degrades food proteins into peptides |
Pepsinogen | The inactive precursor to pepsin |
Peptidase | An enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of peptides into amino acids. |
Peristalsis | the contraction of smooth muscle tissue to propel food/chyme through a digestive tract |
pH | a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. |
Pharynx | made up of the nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, and terminal bronchioles; |
Physical Digestion | This involves breaking the food down into smaller pieces which are easier to move along your digestive tract |
Protease | any enzyme that performs proteolysis, that is, begins protein catabolism by hydrolysis of the peptide bonds that link amino acids together in the polypeptide chain forming the protein. |
Pyloric Sphincter | the region of the stomach that connects to the duodenum |
Rectum | s the final straight portion of the large intestine |
Salivary Amylase | It is released by our salivary glands and is the most abundant enzyme in our saliva |
Salivary Gland | exocrine glands, glands with ducts, that produce saliva. |
Salivary Juice | a watery substance located in the mouths of organisms, secreted by the salivary glands |
Small Intestine | the part of the gastrointestinal tract following the stomach and followed by the large intestine, |
Sodium Bicarbonate | neutralizes chyme |
Stomach | a muscular, hollow, dilated part of the digestion system which functions as an important organ of the digestive tract |
Swallowing | the process in the human or animal body that makes something pass from the mouth, to the pharynx, and into the esophagus, while shutting the epiglottis |
Trypsin | A pancreatic enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of proteins to form smaller polypeptide units. |
Villus | refers to any one of the small, finger-shaped outgrowths of the epithelial lining of the wall of the intestine |