Digestion Basics
The act of eating or putting food into your mouth. is known as
Ingestion
The muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach.
esophagus
Fingerlike projections covering the folds of the small intestine that help move nutrients into the blood
villi
The system that collects and eliminates wastes from the body and regulates fluid levels.
excretory system
The bean-shaped organ that filters wastes from the blood
kidney
The area of the brain that helps maintain homeostasis by controlling hormone secretion for fluid regulation.
hypothalamus
Waves of muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract.
peristalsis
These organisms live in the large intestine and are essential for proper digestion and vitamin production.
bacteria
The four body systems that make up the excretory system.
digestive, urinary, respiratory, and integumentary systems
Networks of capillaries and small tubes in the kidneys where filtration occurs.
nephrons
These are proteins that help break down larger molecules into smaller molecules and speed up chemical reactions.
enzymes
A thin, watery liquid formed when food mixes with gastric juices in the stomach
chyme
A substance produced by the liver that makes it easier to digest fats.
bile
The waste product eliminated by the respiratory system.
carbon dioxide (and water vapor)
A muscular sac that holds urine until it is excreted.
bladder
The two types of digestion that occur in the human body
mechanical and chemical digestion
The organ where most chemical digestion and nutrient absorption occurs
small intestine
The organ that stores bile until it is needed.
gallbladder
The organ system that includes the skin and removes excess salt and water.
integumentary system
The tube through which urine leaves the bladder.
urethra
The removal of undigested food and other wastes from the body is known as
elimination
The first part of the small intestine where chemical digestion of various nutrients takes place
duodenum
An organ that produces an enzyme to break down carbohydrates and a substance that neutralizes stomach acid.
pancreas
The steady internal conditions maintained by the body, supported by the excretory system
homeostasis
The percentage of water and nutrients reabsorbed into the blood during the second filtration stage in the kidneys
99 percent