Medical Terminology - Digestive System (Chapters 5 & 6)

Vocabulary flashcards covering anatomy, physiology, combining forms, signs, symptoms, and pathology of the digestive system from Chapters 5 & 6.

Ingestion

Food material taken into the mouth.

Digestion

Mechanical and chemical breakdown of food as it travels through the gastrointestinal tract.

Absorption

Passage of materials through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream.

Elimination

Act of removal of solid waste materials that cannot be absorbed into the bloodstream from the body.

Rugae

Ridges on the hard palate and the wall of the stomach.

Papillae

Small projections on the tongue.

Deglutition

Swallowing.

Mastication

Chewing.

Dentin

Primary material found in teeth; covered by the enamel in the crown and a protective layer of cementum in the root.

Enamel

Hard, outermost layer of a tooth.

Pulp

Soft tissue within a tooth, containing nerves and blood vessels.

Lower esophageal sphincter (LES)

Ring of muscles between the esophagus and stomach.

Pyloric sphincter

Ring of muscle at the end of the stomach, near the duodenum; opens when a wave of peristalsis passes over it.

Pylorus

Distal region of the stomach, opening to the duodenum.

Duodenum

First part of the small intestine; measures 12 inches long.

Jejunum

Second part of the small intestine.

Ileum

Third part of the small intestine.

Villi

Microscopic projections in the wall of the small intestine that absorb nutrients into the bloodstream.

Cecum

First part of the large intestine.

Appendix

Blind pouch hanging from the cecum.

Sigmoid colon

Fourth and last, S-shaped segment of the colon, just before the rectum; empties into the rectum.

Peristalsis

Rhythmic contractions of the tubular organs.

Bile

Digestive juice made in the liver and stored in the gallbladder; breaks up large fat globules; composed of bile pigments, cholesterol, and bile salts.

Bilirubin

Pigment released by the liver in bile.

Gallbladder

Small sac under the liver; stores bile.

Liver

Large organ located in the RUQ of the abdomen; secretes bile; stores sugar, iron, and vitamins; produces blood proteins; destroys worn-out RBCs; filters out toxins; normal adult liver weighs about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds.

Insulin

Hormone produced by endocrine cells of the pancreas; transports sugar from the blood into cells and stimulates glycogen formation by the liver.

Amylase

Enzyme secreted by the pancreas and salivary glands to digest starch.

Lipase

Pancreatic enzyme needed to digest fats.

Protease

Enzyme that digests protein.

Triglycerides

Fat molecules composed of three parts fatty acids and one part glycerol; subgroup of lipids.

Emulsification

Physical process of breaking up large fat globules into smaller globules.

Glycogen

Starch; glucose is stored in the form of glycogen in liver cells.

Portal vein

Large vein bringing blood to the liver from the intestines.

Anorexia

Lack of appetite.

Ascites

Abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdomen.

Borborygmi

Rumbling or gurgling noises produced by the movement of gas, fluid, or both in the GI tract.

Dysphagia

Difficulty in swallowing.

Eructation

Gas expelled from the stomach through the mouth.

Flatus

Gas expelled through the anus.

Hematochezia

Passage of fresh, bright red blood from the rectum.

Jaundice (icterus)

Yellow-orange coloration of the skin and whites of the eyes caused by high levels of bilirubin in the blood.

Melena

Black, tarry stools; feces containing digested blood.

Steatorrhea

Fat in the feces; frothy, foul-smelling fecal matter.

Aphthous stomatitis

Inflammation of the mouth with small, painful ulcers.

Achalasia

Failure of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) muscle to relax.

Esophageal varices

Swollen, varicose veins at the lower end of the esophagus.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Solids and fluids return to the mouth from the stomach.

Peptic ulcer

Open sore or lesion of the mucous membrane of the stomach or duodenum.

Hernia

Protrusion of an organ or part through the muscle normally containing it.

Anal fistula

Abnormal tubelike passageway near the anus.

Crohn disease

Chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract.

Diverticulosis

Abnormal side pockets (outpouchings) in the intestinal wall.

Ileus

Failure of peristalsis with resulting obstruction of the intestines.

Intussusception

Telescoping of the intestines.

Volvulus

Twisting of the intestines on itself.

Cirrhosis

Chronic degenerative disease of the liver.

Cholelithiasis

Gallstones in the gallbladder.

Paracentesis (abdominocentesis)

Puncture to remove fluid from abdomen.