Introduction to the Digestive System chapter 26

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts and terms related to the digestive system.

Ingestion

The introduction of solid and liquid nutrients into the oral cavity.

Motility

Muscular contractions for mixing and moving materials in the digestive system.

Secretion

The process of producing and releasing fluid products that facilitate digestion, such as digestive enzymes, acid, and bile.

Digestion

The breakdown of ingested food into smaller structures through mechanical and chemical means.

Absorption

The transport of nutrients from the digestive tract into the blood or lymph.

Elimination

The expulsion of indigestible components that are not absorbed.

Mucosa

The inner lining of the GI tract, consisting of epithelium, lamina propria, and muscularis mucosae.

Muscularis

The layer of the GI tract composed of smooth muscle responsible for peristalsis and mixing of contents.

Peristalsis

A series of wave-like muscle contractions that propel contents through the digestive tract.

Segmentation

A back-and-forth motion in the small intestine that mixes chyme with gland secretions.

Hepatopancreatic sphincter

Regulates the movement of bile and pancreatic juice into the duodenum.

Cholecystokinin (CCK)

A hormone that stimulates gallbladder contraction and pancreas secretion in response to fat.

Secretin

A hormone released in response to increased acidity of chyme that stimulates release of alkaline fluid.

Gastrin

A hormone produced in the stomach that stimulates gastric secretions and motility.

Villi

Fingerlike projections of the mucosa in the small intestine that increase surface area for absorption and secretion.

Gallbladder

A saclike organ that stores, concentrates, and releases bile produced by the liver.

Acinar cells

Cells in the pancreas that produce digestive enzymes.

Lacteal

A type of lymphatic capillary in the small intestine that absorbs lipids and lipid-soluble vitamins.

Teniae coli

Thin longitudinal bands of smooth muscle in the large intestine that help in forming haustra.

Haustra

Pouches or sacs formed by the contraction of teniae coli in the large intestine.

Omental appendices

Lobules of fat hanging off the external surface of haustra in the large intestine.