Organ Functions and Anatomy

Flashcards for Anatomy and Physiology Exam

Salivary glands

Produce saliva to moisten food for easier swallowing and initiate carbohydrate digestion with amylase.

Pancreas

Plays a role in digestion and blood sugar regulation by secreting enzymes and hormones.

Liver

Acts as a metabolic hub, processing nutrients, detoxifying the body, and producing bile and blood clotting proteins.

Gastric glands

Secrete gastric juice for protein digestion and nutrient absorption.

Gallbladder

Stores and concentrates bile for fat digestion.

Mesentery

Attaches and supports the intestines to the abdominal wall.

Villi

Absorbs nutrients from digested food.

Oral cavity

Initiates the digestive process and plays a role in breathing, speech, and sensory perception.

Stomach

Breaks down food through mechanical and chemical processes.

Cardiac sphincter

Prevents stomach contents from flowing back into the esophagus.

Pyloric sphincter

Regulates the flow of food from the stomach into the duodenum.

Tongue

Facilitates taste perception, speech, swallowing, and manipulation of food.

Pharynx

A passageway for both air and food.

Esophagus

Transports food and liquid from the mouth to the stomach.

Aorta

Carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the body and helps maintain blood pressure.

Pulmonary Artery

Carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs.

Pericardium

Surrounds and protects the heart and helps anchor it in the chest cavity.

Lungs

Facilitates gas exchange (oxygen intake and carbon dioxide expulsion).

Testes

Produces sperm (spermatogenesis) and testosterone.

Ovaries

Produces eggs (oocytes) and hormones (estrogen and progesterone).

Chyme

A soupy mixture of partially digested food and gastric juices that facilitates nutrient absorption.

Small intestine

Completes digestion and absorbs nutrients and water.

Duodenum

Continues digestion and begins nutrient absorption

Jejunum

Absorbs nutrients from digested food.

Ileum

Absorbs vitamin B12 and bile salts.

Large intestine

Absorb water and electrolytes from undigested food, solidifying it into stool. They consist of the cecum, colon, rectum and anal canal.

Ascending Colon

Absorbs water and electrolytes from waste material, moving waste upward to the transverse colon.

Transverse Colon

Carries waste material across the abdomen to the descending colon.

Descending Colon

Moves waste downward and stores stool.

Sigmoid Colon

Contracts to increase pressure, propelling stool into the rectum.

Soft palate

Facilitates swallowing, breathing, and speech by regulating airflow.

Hard palate

Essential for speech, feeding, and swallowing.

Urinary bladder

Temporarily stores urine.

Kidneys

Filters blood, removes waste, and regulates fluid and electrolyte balance.

Ureters

Transports urine from the kidneys to the bladder.

Urethra

Transports urine from the bladder to the outside of the body.

Diaphragm

Plays a crucial role in breathing

Heart

Acts as a pump, propelling blood throughout the body.

Tricuspid valve

Between the right atrium and right ventricle.

Bicuspid/Mitral valve

Between the left atrium and left ventricle

Pulmonary SL valve

Controls blood flow from the right ventricle to the lungs

Aortic SL valve

Between the left ventricle and the aorta

Superior Vena Cava

Collects deoxygenated blood from the upper body and returns it to the heart

Inferior Vena Cava

Transports deoxygenated blood from the lower body back to the right atrium