The Digestive System

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to the digestive system, including anatomy and physiological processes.

Gastrointestinal Tract (GI Tract)

The organ system responsible for breaking down foods into absorbable units.

Accessory Organs

Organs that assist in digestion but are not part of the digestive tract, including salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.

Peristalsis

The wave-like muscle contraction that moves food through the digestive tract.

Ileocecal Valve

A sphincter muscle that allows passage from the small to large intestine and prevents backflow from the large intestine.

Villi

Small, finger-like projections in the small intestine that increase surface area for absorption of nutrients.

Microvilli

Tiny hair-like structures on villi that aid in nutrient absorption and enzyme secretion.

Bile

A digestive fluid produced by the liver that helps emulsify fats.

Chyme

A semi-liquid mass of partly digested food and digestive juices in the stomach and small intestine.

Digestive Secretions

Fluids such as saliva, gastric juice, pancreatic juice, and bile that assist in the digestion of food.

Facilitated Diffusion

The process by which nutrients are absorbed across the cell membrane with the help of specific carriers.