Functions of the Digestive System

These flashcards cover the key concepts related to the functions of the digestive system and the urinary system as presented in the lecture notes.

Ingestion

The process of taking food and drink into the oral cavity.

Digestion

The breakdown of food and drink, encompassing both mechanical and chemical digestion.

Mechanical digestion

The physical process of breaking down food into smaller pieces to increase surface area for chemical digestion.

Chemical digestion

The process that breaks chemical bonds in food macromolecules into monomers.

Absorption

The process of moving digested nutrients from the lumen of the digestive tract into the tissues of the body.

Compaction

Forcing undigested material into a ball and removing water.

Defecation

The elimination of waste from the body, occurring at the anus.

Mucosa

The innermost layer of the digestive tract that directly touches food; its main function is absorption.

Submucosa

A thick layer of connective tissue within the digestive tract that contains glands, nerves, and larger blood vessels.

Muscularis Externa

The muscle layer responsible for peristalsis; contains the inner circular and outer longitudinal layers.

Segmentation

A type of muscular movement in the digestive tract that mixes food and facilitates absorption.

Propulsion

The movement of food along the digestive tract towards the anus.

Short reflexes

Reflex actions that involve the myenteric plexus and enteric plexus and do not require brain involvement.

Long reflexes

Reflex actions that involve messages being sent to the spinal cord.

Mastication

The process of chewing food to break it down into smaller pieces.

Gastric motility

The movement and mechanical mixing of food within the stomach.

Intrinsic factor

A substance secreted by gastric parietal cells that is essential for vitamin B-12 absorption.

Bile salts

Compounds in bile that emulsify lipids, breaking them into smaller droplets for better absorption.

Chylomicrons

Packages that contain lipids absorbed from the intestine, encased in protein coat.

Urinary System

The system responsible for excretion of water, metabolic waste, and regulatory functions.

Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)

The amount of filtrate formed per minute by the kidneys, useful in assessing kidney functions.

Tubular secretion

The process of moving substances from the blood into the tubular fluid of the nephrons.