Digestive System Vocabulary Notes (Test 1)

  1. Fats- they are broken down into fatty acids and glycerol during the digestive process.
  2. Carbohydrates- they are broken down into simple sugars during the digestive process.
  3. Proteins- they are broken down into amino acids during the digestive process.
  4. Gastric juices- produced in the stomach, they aid in the digestion of food; made up of water, mucus, hydrochloric acid, and the enzyme pepsin.
  5. Pharynx- also called the throat; it passes food from the mouth to the esophagus.
  6. Salivary gland- these help the digestive process by emptying saliva into the mouth; the saliva moistens food, making it easier to chew and swallow.
  7. Enzymes- chemical which help break down food during the digestive process.
  8. Mastication- fragmenting of food in the mouth.
  9. Epiglottis- valve which keeps food from going into the lungs.
  10. Peristalsis- process by which muscle contractions move food along the digestive tract.
  11. Stomach- J-shaped sac which stores food before passing it on to the small intestine.
  12. Esophagus- muscular tube that conveys food from the pharynx to the stomach.
  13. Uvula- Flap-like projection which keeps food from going into the nose.
  14. Chyme- semi-liquid form of food which leaves the stomach

Page 2 Digestive System Vocabulary Notes (Test 1)

  1. Small Intestine- aids the breakdown of food by producing intestinal juice; also, it is here that digested food enters the blood stream
  2. Pancreatic Juice- contains three enzymes which aid in the digestion of food
  3. Large Intestine- receives undigested food from the small intestine; after recovering needed water from this undigested food, it passes the remaining waste material on to the rectum
  4. Liver- the largest gland in the body, it produces bile
  5. Intestinal Juice- produced in the small intestine; contains several enzymes which complete the digestion of carbohydrates and proteins
  6. Rectum- name for the lower end of the large intestine; it sends the semi-solid waste material to the anus to be discharged from the body
  7. Gall Bladder- stores bile until needed; it sends the bile to the small intestine through a tube called the bile duct
  8. Duodenum- name for the upper ten inches of the small intestine
  9. Pancreas- located in the back of the stomach; it produces pancreatic juice
  10. Appendix- small worm-like projection attached to the large intestine; it has no known function
  11. Bile- liquid which separated fats and oils to aid digestion
  12. Villi- Small finger-like projections of the small intestine; most digested food passes from these into the tiny blood vessels called capillaries – this is how digested food enters the blood stream