Digestive System
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What is the purpose of mucus in the stomach?
to protect stomach lining from acidic juices
What is the name for the mush that leaves the stomach?
chyme
Where does the chyme go next?
small intestine
What is the small intestine responsible for?
digestion and absorption
Where is bile produced and stored?
liver and gallbladder
What does bile do?
released to break down fats in chyme
How does bile “break down” fats?
does not digest fat, but emulsifies it - breaks up hydrophobic fats from hydrophilic fat to allow easier access for lipases to actually break down fat
What are the six processes of the digestive system?
ingestion, movement (peristalsis), digestion, secretion, absorption, defecation
Give an analogy for how bile works on chyme.
soap on buttery hands
Where do the enzymes used in the small intestine come from?
pancreas
Which enzyme breaks down carbohydrates?
amylase
Which enzyme breaks down protein?
protease
Which enzyme breaks down fat?
lipase
What other chemical does the pancreas secrete and why?
secretes basic bicarbonate which neutralizes acid from stomach to allow enzymes to function
What is the pH in the small intestine?
close to neutral
How long is the small intestine?
23 feet - longest part of the alimentary canal
What happens to the processed chyme?
nutrient molecules are absorbed into blood and are sent to liver for processing
Which blood vessels send nutrient molecules to the liver?
portal veins (part of hepatic portal system), sends blood directly to liver
Where does most of the actual digestion/absorption occur?
small intestine
Where does the chyme go after small intestine?
large intestine
What does the large intestine do?
reabsorbs water from the chyme, no digestion here
What is the name for the chyme that leaves the colon?
feces
What other crucial role does the large intestine play?
host to nonpathogenic bacteria (such as e. coli) which fight off growth of pathogenic bacteria and also supply us with vitamin K
What is different about the digestive system of crocodiles/alligators/birds?
have same organs but in addition they have a crop to store food and a gizzard to grinding food