Digestion Fundamentals
What is the process by which food is broken down into nutrients the body can use?
Digestion
What role do the teeth play in digestion?
Mechanical grinding of food into smaller pieces to aid in digestion
What structures in the mouth physically break down food?
Teeth
What is the term for the sound made by the stomach when gas or liquid moves?
gurgling or borborygmi
What nutrients found in fruits and vegetables, help prevent constipation (keep things moving)?
Fiber
Where does digestion begin?
The mouth
What muscular organ churns food and mixes it with digestive juices?
stomach
What enzyme in saliva begins the digestion of carbohydrates?
Amylase
About how long does it take for food to pass through the entire digestive system?
on average about 24-72 hours
What should you do thoroughly to food to aid digestion in the stomach?
Chew your food
What fluid, produced by glands in the mouth, starts breaking down starches?
Saliva (salivary amylase)
What organ, about 20 feet long, is the main site of nutrient absorption?
small intestine
What type of muscle contractions push food through the digestive tract?
peristalsis
What is the semi-liquid mixture of food and gastric juices formed in the stomach?
Chyme
What type of microorganisms in the large intestine help with digestion?
bacteria
What muscular tube moves food from the throat to the stomach using wave-like contractions?
esophagus
What organ absorbs water and forms waste into solid material?
large intestine
What small organ stores and releases bile into the small intestine?
gallbladder
What are the tiny finger-like structures in the small intestines that absorb nutrients?
Villi
What lifestyle habit, like walking or sports, supports a healthy digestive system?
exercise
What term describes what is absorbed by the body as a result of digestion?
Nutrients or molecules
What organ produces bile to help break down fats?
liver
What organ produces digestive enzymes to break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates?
Pancreas
What process allows nutrients to pass form the small intestine into the bloodstream?
Absorption
What health condition can result from stomach acid flowing back into the esophagus?
Heartburn (acid reflux)