Mechanical Digestion
The process of breaking food down physically
What is mechanical digestion?
This process uses enzymes and other chemicals to break down food into smaller molecules
What is chemical digestion?
The primary site of nutrient absorption
What is the small intestine?
Proteins that help speed up chemical reactions
What are digestive enzymes?
These structures are not part of the alimentary canal
What are accessory organs?
A place in the body where mechanical digestion occurs
What is the mouth? OR esophagus? OR stomach?
This is present in the stomach to aid digestion
What is stomach acid?
This organ primarily absorbs water and electrolytes, and compacts waste
What is the large intestine?
This enzyme helps to break down lipids
What is lipase?
This organ creates bile, which helps emulsify fats
What is the liver?
The primary method of mechanical digestion in the mouth
What is chewing (mastication)?
Nutrients like proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates
What are macromolecules?
Tiny finger-like projections in the small intestine that increase its surface area for absorption
What are villi?
This enzyme found in saliva helps to break down carbohydrates
What is amylase?
This small sac stores bile until it's needed in the small intestine
What is the gallbladder?
This allows food to be propelled throughout the alimentary canal
What is muscle?
The product of chemically digesting proteins
What are amino acids?
These microscopic folds on the cells lining the small intestine further increase the absorptive surface area
What are microvilli?
A majority of digestive enzymes are made in this accessory organ
What is the pancreas?
This gland produces a variety of digestive enzymes and also hormones that regulate blood sugar
What is the pancreas?
The rhythmic muscular contractions that move food through the esophagus
What is peristalsis?
The source of nucleic acids in our diets is this part of an organism's cells
What is the nucleus?
A disease that can cause malabsorption of nutrients
What is Whipple's disease? OR Crohn's disease? OR Celiac disease?
This condition occurs when individuals lack the enzyme lactase, leading to difficulty digesting lactose, a sugar found in milk
What is lactose intolerance?
These organs contribute saliva to the mouth, which contains amylase to begin carbohydrate digestion
What are salivary glands?