Grade 11 Life Sciences - Animal Nutrition (Mammals)

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering mammalian dentition, digestive anatomy, chemical and mechanical digestion, nutrient absorption, assimilation, liver functions, and blood glucose homeostasis from Grade 11 Life Sciences.

Dentition

The particular arrangement, type, and number of teeth in groups of animals, determined by what they eat.

Diastema

A toothless gap between the front incisors and premolars in herbivores (such as sheep) that helps clear food and allows the tongue to protrude to grasp grass.

Incisors

Sharp, chisel-shaped front teeth adapted for biting off and cutting pieces of food.

Canines

Strong, pointed teeth positioned on either side of the incisors adapted for piercing, tearing flesh, or killing prey.

Premolars

Teeth located behind the canines featuring two cusps and one or two roots, adapted for tearing, crushing, and grinding food.

Molars

Broad, flat-topped back teeth with four or five cusps and two or three roots, adapted for crushing and grinding food.

Ingestion

The process of taking food and nutrients into the body through the mouth.

Mastication

The mechanical process of chewing and grinding food with teeth into smaller pieces to enlarge the surface area available for enzyme action.

Salivary Amylase

A digestive enzyme secreted by the salivary glands into saliva that initiates the chemical breakdown of starch into maltose.

Bolus

A small, rounded mass of chewed food lubricated with saliva, formed by the tongue to prepare for swallowing.

Uvula

A small fleshy projection hanging from the soft palate that closes off the internal nasal passage during swallowing.

Epiglottis

A flap of elastic cartilage located in the throat that folds down over the trachea (windpipe) during swallowing to prevent food from entering the airway.

Peristalsis

The rhythmic, involuntary contraction and relaxation of muscular walls that pushes food and boluses forward through the alimentary tract.

Cardiac Sphincter

A circular muscular band at the junction between the oesophagus and stomach that regulates food entry and prevents acid reflux.

Pyloric Sphincter

A muscular valve between the stomach and the duodenum that controls the passage of digested chyme and prevents reflux.

Churning

Vigorous mechanical contractions of the thick stomach walls that physically break down food and mix it thoroughly with gastric juices.

Chyme

The thick, semi-fluid acidic mass of partly digested food expelled by the stomach into the small intestine.

Pepsin

A gastric digestive enzyme that functions in an acidic hydrochloric acid environment to chemically digest proteins into smaller peptides.

Duodenum

The first section of the small intestine where acidic chyme mixes with bile and pancreatic secretions to undergo extensive chemical digestion.

Brunner Glands

Specialized glands in the submucosa of the small intestine that secrete alkaline mucus to neutralise acidic chyme entering from the stomach.

Crypts of Lieberkühn

Glandular depressions located between the bases of adjacent villi in the intestinal mucosa that secrete intestinal fluid for chemical digestion.

Villus

A tiny, finger-like projection on the inner lining of the small intestine that greatly increases surface area for the absorption of digested nutrients.

Lacteal

A central lymph vessel inside each intestinal villus responsible for absorbing and transporting digested fatty acids and glycerol.

Hepatic Portal Vein

The large blood vessel formed from intestinal capillary networks that transports nutrient-rich blood containing glucose and amino acids directly to the liver.

Assimilation

The process by which absorbed nutrients (such as glucose and amino acids) are incorporated into body cells and used to build cellular structures or provide energy.

Egestion

The expulsion or elimination of undigested, unabsorbed waste materials from the alimentary canal through the anus.

Excretion

The elimination of metabolic waste substances and excess chemical byproducts resulting from cellular metabolism from the body.

Ileo-caecal Valve

The muscular valve located between the ileum of the small intestine and the caecum of the large intestine that regulates the passage of unabsorbed contents.

Islets of Langerhans

Endocrine cell clusters in the pancreas that detect abnormal blood glucose levels and secrete the hormones insulin and glucagon.

Insulin

A hormone secreted by the Islets of Langerhans when blood glucose rises, promoting glucose uptake by cells and converting excess glucose into glycogen in the liver and muscles.

Glucagon

A hormone secreted by the Islets of Langerhans when blood glucose falls, stimulating the liver to convert stored glycogen back into glucose for release into the blood.

Type 1 Diabetes

A condition occurring when the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, preventing the body from producing the insulin it needs.

Type 2 Diabetes

A metabolic disorder where the body produces insufficient insulin or cells become resistant to it, associated with risk factors like obesity, physical inactivity, and poor diet.

Malnutrition

A disorder resulting from failing to follow a balanced diet or the malfunctioning of the digestive system, encompassing both under-nutrition and over-nutrition.