Digestive System Vocabulary and Key Concepts

Flashcards for Digestive System Study Guide

Mouth

The only place where ingestion (intake of food) occurs.

Stomach

The organ where the bolus arrives and both mechanical and chemical digestion continue.

Esophagus

The hollow muscular tube that runs behind the heart, transporting food from mouth to stomach.

Large Intestine

Where gut bacteria digest any remaining nutrients before waste is expelled.

Small Intestine

The structure that chyme enters after leaving the stomach; absorption of nutrients occurs here.

Tongue

Muscle in the mouth that helps push food toward the pharynx.

Gallbladder

Stores bile that is not immediately needed for digestion.

Pharynx

Directs food toward the esophagus and not the lungs.

Pancreas

Crucial in metabolizing carbohydrates and producing digestive enzymes.

Liver

The body’s largest gland, just below the diaphragm; produces bile and filters blood.

Duodenum

First part of the small intestine, receives chyme from the stomach

Jejunum

Second part of the small intestine, and major site of nutrient absorption.

Ileum

Third part of the small intestine, connects to the large intestine

Cecum

Main part of the large intestine.

Colon

Main part of the large intestine,divided into ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid sections.

Rectum

Main part of the large intestine.

Folds, villi, and microvilli

Increase surface area for maximum absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream.