Digestive terminology (set 1 basic structures and movement)

alimentary canal

def: continuous digestive tube

location: mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, intestines, anus

accesory organs

def: organs food doesn’t pass through

location: around digestive tract (salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, pancreas)

function: secrete/store digestive substances (enzymes, bile, saliva)

peristalsis

def: wave-like muscle movement

location: throughout GI tract (long tube from mouth)

function: pushes food forward

mechanical digestion

def: physical breakdown of food

location: mouth and stomach

function: breaks food into smaller pieces to increase surface area

chemical digestion

def: breakdown using enzymes

location: mouth, stomach, small intestine

function: converts large food molecules into small absorbable nutrients

bolus

def: soft mass of chewed food mixed with saliva

location: formed in mouth, travels through esophagus

function: allows easier swallowing and movement to stomach

chyme

def:: semi-liquid mixture of partially digested food and gastric juice

location: formed in stomach, enters small intestine

function: allows continued digestion and nutrient absorption

mastication

def: process of chewing food

location: mouth (teeth and jaw muscles like masseter)

function: breaks food mechanically and mixes it with saliva

mouth

def: first part of digestive tract

location: oral cavity

function: begins mechanical digestion and starts carbohydrate digestion with saliva

teeth

def: hard calcified structures for chewing

location: embedded in jaws