Question | Answer |
absorption | passage of materials through the walls of the small intestine into the blood stream |
amino acids | building blocks of proteins, produced when proteins are digested |
amylase | enzyme secreted by the pancreas to digest starch |
anus | opening of the digestive tract to the outside of the body |
appendix | blind pouch hanging from the cecum (in the right lower quadrant [RLQ]). It literally means hanging (pend/o) on (ap-) |
bile | digestive juice made in the liver and stored in the gallbladder |
bilirubin | pigment released by the live in the bile |
bowel | intestine |
canine teeth | pointed, dog tooth -like canine teeth, next to (distal to) the incisors. also called cupids or eye teeth |
cecum | first part of the large intestine |
colon | large intestine consisting of the cecum; the ascending transverse, and descending segments of the colon; and the rectum |
common bile duct | carries bile from the liver and gallbladder to the duodenum. Also called the choledochus. |
defecation | elimination of feces from the digestive tract through the rectum |
deglutition | swallowing |
dentin | major tissue composing teeth, covered by the enamel in the cementum in the root |
digestion | breakdown of complex food to simpler forms |
duodenum | first part of the small intestine. duo=2, den=10; the duodenum measures 12 inched long |
elimination | act of removal of materials from the body; in the digestive system, the removal of indigestible materials |
emulsification | physical process of breaking up large fat globules into smaller globules, thereby increasing the surface area that enzymes can use to digest the fat. |
enamel | hard, outermost layer of a tooth |
enzyme | a chemical that speeds up a reaction between substances. Digestive enzymes break down complex foods to simpler substances. Enzymes are given names that end in -ase |
esophagus | tube connecting the throat to the stomach. eso- means inward; phag/o means swallowing |
fatty acids | substances produced when fats are digested |
feces | solid wasted; stools |
gallbladder | small sac under the liver; stores bile |
glucose | simple sugar |
glycogen | starch, glucose stored in the form of glycogen in liver cells |
hydrochloric acid | substance produced by the stomach; necessary for digestion of food |
ileum | third part of the small intestine |
incisor | one of four front teeth in the dental arch |
insulin | hormone produced by the endocrine cells of the pancreas. It transports sugar from the blood into cells and stimulates glycogen formation by the liver |
jejunum | second part of the small intestine |
lipase | pancreatic enzyme necessary to digest fats |
liver | a large organ located in the RQU of the abdomen. the liver secretes bile; stores sugar, iron, and vitamins; produces blood proteins; and destroys worn out red blood cells weighs 2.5 to 3 pounds |
lower esophageal sphincter (LES) | ring of muscles between the esophagus and the stomach also called cardiac sphincter |
mastication | chewing |
molar teeth | the sixth, seventh, and eighth teeth from the middle on either side of the dental arch |
palate | roof of the mouth. the hard palate lies anterior to the soft palate and is supported by the upper jaw bone (maxilla) the soft palate is the posterior fleshy part between the mouth and the throat |
pancreas | organ under the stomach; produces insulin and enzymes |
papillae | small elevations on the tongue. a papilla is a nipple like elevation |
parotid gland | salivary gland within the cheek, just anterior to the ear |
peristalsis | rhythmic contractions of the tubes of the GI track and other tubular structures |
pharynx | throat, the common passageway for food from the mouth and for air from the nose |
portal vein | large vein bring blood to the liver from the intestines |
protease | enzyme that digests protein |
pyloric sphincter | ring of muscle at the end of the stomach, near he duodenum it is normally closed but opens when a wave of peristalsis passes over it |
pylorus | distal region of the stomach, opening to the duodenum |
rectum | last section of the large intestine, connecting the end of the colon and the anus |
rugae | ridges on the hard palate and the wall of the stomach |
saliva | digestive juice produced by salivary glands |
salivary glands | parotid, sublingual, ad submandibular glands |
sigmoid colon | fourth and last s-shaped segment of the colon, just before the rectum; empties into the rectum |
sphincter | a circular ring of muscle that constricts a passage or closes a natural opening |
stomach | muscular organ that receives food from the esophagus. the stomach's parts are the fundus, body, and the antrum |
triglycerides | large fat molecules composed of thee parts fatty acid and one part glycerol |
uvula | soft tissue hanging from the middle of the soft palate |
villi | microscopic projections in the wall of the small intestine that absorb nutrients into the bloodstream |
arteriole | small artery |
Bowman capsule | enclosing structure surrounding each glomerulus |
calyx or calix | cup like collecting region of the renal pelvis |
catheter | tube for injecting or removing fluids |
cortex | outer region, the renal cortex is the outer region of the kidney |
creatinine | waste product of muscle metabolism; nitrogenous waste excreted in urine |
electrolyte | a chemical element that carries an electrical charge when dissolved in water |
erythropoietin (EPO) | a hormone secreted by the kidney to stimulate the production of red blood cells by bone marrow |
filtration | passive process whereby some substance pass through a filter or other material |
glomerulus | tiny ball of capillaries in cortex of kidney |
hilum | depression or hollow in that part of an organ where blood vessels and nerves enter and leave |
kidney | one of two bean-shaped organs behind he abdominal cavity on either side of the backbone in the lumbar region |
meatus | opening or canal |
medulla | inner region; the renal medulla is the inner region of the kidney |
micturition | urination; the act of voiding |
nephron | combination of glomerulus and renal tubule where filtration, reabsorption, and secretion take place in the kidney. it is the functional unit of the kidney, each capable of forming urine by itself. about 1 million in a kidney |
nitrogenous waste | substance containing nitrogen and excreted in urine |
potassium (K+) | an electrolyte important to body process. the kidney |
reabsorption | in this process, the renal tubules return materials necessary to the body back into the bloodstream |
renal artery | blood vessel that carries blood to the kidney |
renal pelvis | central collecting region in the kidney |
renal tubule | microscopic tube in the kidney in which urine is formed after filtration. In the renal tubule, the composition of urine is altered by the processes of reabsorption and secretion |
renal vein | blood vessel that carries blood away from the kidney toward the heart |
renin | an enzymatic hormone synthesized, stored, and secreted by the kidney; it raises blood pressure by influencing vasoconstriction (narrowing of blood vessels) |
sodium (Na+) | an electrolyte regulated in the blood and urine by the kidneys |
trigone | triangular area in the urinary bladder in which the urethers enter and urethra exits |
urea | major nitrogenous waste product excreted in urine |
urethra | tube leading from the urinary bladder to the outside of the body |
uric acid | a nitrogenous waste excreted in the urine |
urinary bladder | hollow muscular sac that holds and stores urine |
urination | process of expelling urine also called micturition |
voiding | emptying of urine from the urinary bladder; urination or micturition |