Accessory Organs and Enzymes in Digestion

This set of flashcards covers the accessory organs of the digestive system, the characteristics and models of digestive enzymes, and the specific process of carbohydrate digestion.

Salivary Glands

Organs including the parotid, submandibular/submaxillary, and sublingual glands that break down food and facilitate swallowing.

Liver

The largest glandular organ, reddish-brown in color and located in the upper abdomen, which produces bile to break down fatty foods.

Gallbladder

A muscular pouch located beneath the liver that stores excess bile for future use.

Pancreas

A long, whitish gland behind the stomach and near the small intestine that releases pancreatic juice, sodium bicarbonate, and insulin.

Insulin

A hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels.

Islets of Langerhans

The specific part of the pancreas that secretes insulin.

Enzymes

Protein substances that initiate or speed up chemical reactions, working best between $35$ to $40$ degrees Celsius.

Lock and Key Model

A model demonstrated by Emil Fisher in $1894$ where enzymes react with specific substrates at active sites to form complexes.

Emil Fisher

The person who demonstrated the Lock and Key Model of enzyme action in $1894$.

Carbohydrases

A group of digestive enzymes that break down carbohydrates.

Proteinases

A group of digestive enzymes that break down proteins.

Lipases

A group of digestive enzymes that break down fats.

Salivary amylase (ptyalin)

An enzyme found in the mouth that breaks down carbohydrates into disaccharides.

Amylopsin

An enzyme in pancreatic juice that breaks down carbohydrates into disaccharides in the small intestine.

Sodium bicarbonate

A substance released by the pancreas along with enzymes and insulin.

Bile

A substance produced by the liver that is essential for digesting fatty foods.

Stomach Digestion

A stage in the digestive process where only mechanical digestion occurs and no enzymes are involved in carbohydrate breakdown.