| A | B |
|---|
| absorption | Passage of materials through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream. |
| amino acids | Building blocks of proteins, produced when proteins are digested. |
| amylase | Enzyme secreted by the pancrease to digest starch. |
| anus | Opening of the digestive tract to the outside of the body. |
| appendix | Blind pouch hanging from the cecum. |
| bile | Digestive juice made in the liver and stored in the gallbladder. It breaks up large fat globules. Bile originally was called gall, probably because it has a bitter taste. It is composed of bile pigments, cholesterol, and bile salts. |
| bilirubin | pigment released by the liver bile. |
| bowel | intestine |
| canine teeth | Pointed "dog tooth"-like teeth, next to the incisors. Also called cuspids or eyeteeth. |
| cecum | First part of the large intestine. |
| common bile duct | Carries bile from the liver and gallbladder to the duodenum. Also called the choledochus. |
| defecation | Elimination of feces from the digestive tract through the rectum. |
| deglutition | swallowing |
| dentin | Major tissue composing teeth, covered by the enamel in the crown and a protective layer of cementum in the root. |
| digestion | Breakdown of complex foods to simpler forms. |
| duodenum | First part of the small intestine. Duo = 2, den = 10; the duodenum measures 12 inches long. |
| elimination | Act of removal of materials from the body; in the digestive system, the removal of indigestivle materials. |
| emulsification | Physical process of breaking up large fat globules into smaller globules, thereby increasing the surface area that enzymes can use to digest the fat. |
| enamel | Hard, outermost layer of a tooth. |
| enzyme | A chemical that sppeds up a reaction between substances. Digestive enzymes break down complex foods to simpler substances. Enzymes are given names that end in -ase. |
| esophagus | Tube connecting the throat to the stomach. |
| fatty acids | Substances produced when fats are digested. |
| feces | Solid wastes; stools |
| gallbladder | Small sac under the liver; stores bile. |
| glucose | Simple sugar. |
| glycogen | Starch; glucose is stored in the form of glycogen in liver cells. |
| hydrochloric acid | Substance produced by the stomach; necessary for digestion of food. |
| ileum | Third part of the small intestine. |
| incisor | One of four from teeth in the dental arch. |
| jejunum | Second part of the small intestine. |
| lipase | Pancreatic enzyme necessary to digest fats. |
| liver | A large organ located in the RUQ of the abdomen. The liver secretes bile; stores sugar, iron, and vitamins; produces blood proteins; and destroys worn-out red blood cells. |
| lower esophageal sphincter (LES) | Ring of muscles between the esophagus and the stomach. Also called the cardiac sphincter. |
| mastication | Chewing. |
| molar teeth | The sixth, seventh, and eighth teeth from the middel on either side of the dental arch. |
| palate | Roof of the mouth. |
| pancreas | Organ under the stomach; produces insulin and enzymes. |
| papillae (singular: papilla) | Small elevations on the tongue. A papilla is a nipple-like elevation. |
| parotid gland | Salivary gland within the cheek, just anterior to the ear. |
| peristalsis | Rhythmic contractions of the tubes of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and other tubular structures. |
| pharynx | Throat, the common passageway for food from the mouth and for air from the nose. |
| portal vein | Large vein bringing blood to the liver from the intestines. |
| premolar teeth | The fourth and fifth teeth before the molars. |
| protease | Enzyme that digests protein. |
| pulp | Soft tissue within a tooth, containing nerves and blood vessels. |
| pyloric sphincter | Ring of muscle at the end of the stomach, near the duodenum. |
| pylorus | Distal region of the stomach, opening to the duodenum. |
| rectum | Last section of the large intestine, connecting the end of the colon and the anus. |
| rugae | Ridges on the hard palate and the wall of the stomach. |
| saliva | Digestive juice produced by salivary glands. |
| salivary glands | Parotid, sublingual, and submandibular glands. |
| sigmoid colon | Fourth and last S-shaped segment of the colon, just before the rectum empties into the rectum. |
| sphincter | Circular ring of muscle that constricts a passage or closes a natural opening. |
| stomach | Muscular organ that receives food from the esophagus. The stomach's parts are the fundus (proximal section), body (middle section) and antrum (distal section). |
| triglycerides | Large fat molecules composed of three parts fatty acid and one part glycerol. |
| uvula | Soft tissue hanging from the middle of the soft palate. |
| villi (singular: villus) | Microscopic projections in the wall of the small intestine that absorb nutrients into the bloodstream. |
