Steps of Digestion.pdf

Digestive System

System responsible for breaking down food into nutrients for the body.

Ingestion

The act of eating or putting food in your mouth.

Digestion

Mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into smaller particles and molecules.

Absorption

Process by which cells of the digestive system take in small molecules of digested food.

Elimination

The process of expelling undigested food and wastes from the body.

Mechanical Digestion

Physical breakdown of food into smaller pieces.

Chemical Digestion

Chemical reactions that break down food into small molecules.

Enzymes

Proteins that catalyze and facilitate the breakdown of larger molecules into smaller ones.

Amylase

An enzyme that helps break down carbohydrates.

Pepsin

An enzyme that aids in breaking down proteins in the stomach.

Lipase

An enzyme that helps break down fats.

Peristalsis

Waves of muscular contractions that move food through the digestive tract.

Chyme

Watery liquid formed in the stomach as food mixes with hydrochloric acid.

Villi

Fingerlike projections in the small intestine that absorb nutrients into the bloodstream.

Bile

A substance produced by the liver that aids in the digestion of fats.

Gallbladder

Organ that stores bile until it is needed in the small intestine.

Large Intestine

Organ where waste products are moved and water is absorbed.

Diarrhea

Condition where not enough water is absorbed, causing loose stool.