HBS Digestive System Function Lecture Notes

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers the anatomy and physiology of the human digestive system, including the oral cavity, stomach, accessory organs like the liver and pancreas, and the intestines.

Oral cavity

The space containing salivary glands, tongue, teeth, uvula, and pharynx.

Salivary glands

Glands that produce saliva to help break down food chemically as soon as it enters the mouth.

Tongue

An organ used to shape food so it goes down easier.

Bolus

Food that has been chewed up and formed into a ball.

Hard and soft palate

Structures located in the mouth used for swallowing, breathing, speech, and shaping food.

Epiglottis

A mechanism that ensures food does not go down the wrong tube into the windpipe.

Peristaltic movement

A movement in the esophagus to make food go down.

Esophagus

A pathway for food where no digestion occurs.

Chyme

A semiliquid, highly acidic mixture of digested food and gastric juice.

Mucus

A thick layer that lines the stomach to prevent gastric juice from digesting the inside of the stomach.

Sphincters

Valves that regulate flow at the entries and exits of the stomach.

Pancreas

An organ approximately $6-10$ inches long located behind the stomach that produces enzymes and regulates blood sugar by releasing insulin.

Amylase

A pancreatic enzyme that functions to break down carbohydrates.

Lipase

A pancreatic enzyme that functions to digest fat.

Trypsin

A pancreatic enzyme that functions to break down proteins.

Insulin

A substance produced by the pancreas that helps move sugar into the blood.

Liver

An organ $6-7$ inches located in the upper right abdomen under the ribcage that makes bile, processes nutrients, and filters toxins out of the blood.

Gallbladder

An organ that stores and releases bile produced by the liver.

Bile

A fluid that breaks down fat and enters the digestive tract at the duodenum.

Duodenum, Jejunum, and Ileum

The three sections of the small intestine.

Bicarbonate

A substance from the pancreas used to neutralize acidic chyme and maintain a pH of $6-7$ within the small intestine.

Large intestine

The part of the digestive system that absorbs water and electrolytes, forms and eliminates waste, and maintains water balance.

Cecum, Colon, and Rectum

The three sections of the large intestine.