Animal Nutrition

Flashcards about animal nutrition, digestion and the liver.

What are the main regions of the alimentary canal and associated organs involved in animal nutrition?

Mouth, salivary glands, oesophagus, stomach, duodenum, pancreas, gall bladder, liver, ileum, colon, rectum, and anus.

Name the processes associated with the main regions of the alimentary canal and associated organs.

Ingestion, digestion, absorption, assimilation, and egestion.

What is peristalsis?

Rhythmic wave-like contractions of muscles to mix and propel contents in the alimentary canal.

Name the enzymes used in digestion.

Amylase, maltase, protease, and lipase.

What is the function of the hepatic portal vein?

The transport of blood rich in absorbed nutrients from the small intestine to the liver.

What is the role of the liver?

Conversion of glucose to glycogen and vice versa, fat digestion, metabolism of amino acids and formation of urea, breakdown of alcohol, and breakdown of hormones.

What are the effects of alcohol consumption on the brain?

Increased reaction time and reduced self-control.

What are the long-term effects of excessive alcohol consumption?

Liver disease and brain damage.

What is ingestion?

Taking in food into the body by feeding or drinking.

What is digestion?

Breakdown of large insoluble food substances into small, simple, soluble, diffusible molecules that can be taken up by body cells.

What is egestion?

Removal of undigested waste through the anus.

What is absorption?

Taking up of small, soluble food substances from the bloodstream into the body cells.

What is assimilation?

Process by which absorbed food substances are used to create new protoplasm or used to release energy.

What is mechanical/physical digestion?

Physical process of chewing, mashing, and breaking up food into smaller particles.

What is chemical digestion?

Breaking down large molecules into small soluble molecules, involving hydrolytic reactions catalyzed by enzymes.

Where does chemical digestion occur?

Mouth, stomach, and small intestine.

What does the buccal cavity consist of?

Upper and lower jaws, teeth, and salivary glands.

What is mastication?

Grinding and breaking up of solid food into smaller pieces.

What is the pharynx?

Common passage for both food and air, connects the mouth/nose with the trachea and the mouth with the oesophagus, and presence of epiglottis.

What is the oesophagus?

A narrow, muscular tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.

What is the stomach?

A muscular, stretchable bag.

What happens when the pyloric sphincter contracts?

Food cannot enter the small intestine.

What happens when the pyloric sphincter relaxes?

Food enters the small intestine.

What is gastric juice composed of?

Hydrochloric acid and gastric enzymes (pepsin and rennin).

What does hydrochloric acid do?

Stops the action of salivary amylase, converts inactive forms of gastric enzymes to active forms, provides a slightly acidic medium, and kills germs and certain potential parasites.

What is pepsin?

Digests proteins to polypeptides.

What is rennin?

Curdles milk proteins (to separate into solid lumps).

What are the three parts of the small intestine?

Duodenum, jejunum, and ileum.

What is the function of the pancreas?

Produces pancreatic juice that contains digestive enzymes.

What is the liver?

Largest gland, secretes bile containing bile salts and bile pigments, and aids in digestion of fats.

What is the function of the gall bladder?

Stores bile.

What are the functions of the small intestine?

Digestion and absorption.

What does bile do?

Emulsifies large fat globules into small fat globules and increases surface area to volume ratio for faster digestion by lipases.

What do pancreatic and intestinal lipases do?

Digests emulsified fats into fatty acids and glycerol.

What does trypsin do?

Digests proteins to polypeptides.

What does erepsin/peptidase do?

Hydrolyses polypeptides to amino acids.

What does pancreatic amylase do?

Digests starch to maltose.

What does maltase do?

Digests maltose to glucose.

What does lactase do?

Digests lactose to glucose and galactose.

What does sucrase do?

Digests sucrose to glucose and fructose.

What is absorption?

Taking in of soluble and diffusible food products into the bloodstream.

What are villi?

Minute, finger-like projections of the inner wall of the small intestine.

What are the adaptations of the small intestine for absorption?

Long and coiled, inner walls are extensively folded, numerous capillaries in each villus, and presence of lacteal.

What are the adaptations of the villi for absorption?

Villi have thin walls and are richly supplied with blood and lymphatic capillaries.

What does the hepatic portal vein do?

Carries absorbed food in the blood to the liver.

What does the Large Intestine consist of besides the caecum and appendix?

Ascending colon, horizontal transverse colon, descending colon, and rectum.

What is the function of the large intestine?

Absorbs water and mineral salts.

What is assimilation?

Use of the absorbed food in metabolic processes such as the conversion to new cytoplasm or used to release energy.

What are simple sugars used for?

Used to release energy, excess glucose converted to glycogen and stored in liver or muscle cells.

What are amino acids used for?

Converted into new protoplasm, used to produce enzymes and hormones, excess amino acids are deaminated in the liver.

What is deamination?

Process whereby the amino group is removed to form urea.

What are fatty acids and glycerol used for?

Used to build protoplasm, used as a source of energy when glucose level is low, excess fats stored as adipose tissue.

What are the functions of the liver?

Production of bile, deamination of excess amino acids, regulation of blood glucose concentration, breakdown of alcohol, and breakdown of hormones.

What happens when blood sugar levels rise?

Excess glucose is converted to glycogen and stored in the liver, regulated by pancreatic hormone insulin.

What happens when blood sugar levels fall?

Glycogen converted back to glucose in the liver and re-enters circulation, regulated by hormone glucagon.

What is detoxification?

A process of converting toxic and harmful substances into harmless substances.

What is the effect of alcohol on the digestive system?

Gastric ulcers and liver cirrhosis.

What is the effect of alcohol on the nervous system?

Slows down brain function, reduced self-control, and longer reaction time.

What are the social implications of alcohol consumption?

Addiction, violence towards family, commit crimes.

What are the long-term effects of alcohol on the brain?

Shrinkage of brain volume

What enzyme do liver cells produce to breakdown alcohol?

Alcohol dehydrogenase.