Medical Terminology Chapter 5 - Digestive System

The GI tract begins with the oral cavity

*Includes:* cheeks, lips, hard palate, soft palate, rugae, uvula, tongue, papillae, tonsils, gums, teeth, pharynx

Besides producing bile, the liver:

- Helps maintain normal blood glucose levels - Manufactures blood proteins necessary for clotting - Releases bilirubin, a pigment in bile - Removes toxins and poisons from the blood

Absorption (3)

- digested food passes into the bloodstream through lining cells of the small intestine - nutrients travel to all cells of the body - cells burn nutrients to release the energy stored in food

Elimination (4)

- the body eliminates solid waste materials that cannot be absorbed into bloodstream - the large intestine concentrates feces - the wastes pass out of the body through the anus

Deglutition (swallowing)

-epiglottis closes over the trachea as the bolus of food passes down the pharynx toward the esophagus -epiglottis opens as the bolus moves down the esophagus

saliva

Digestive juice produced by salivary glands; contains the enzyme amylase

Food Pathway through the GI Tract

Food enters through the oral cavity and exits through the anus

Sigmoid colon

Lower, S-shaped segment of the colon, just before the rectum; empties into the rectum

Digestive enzymes aid in the breakdown of complex nutrients:

Proteins => amino acids Sugars => glucose Fats => fatty acids or triglycerides

pyloric sphincter

Ring of muscle at the end of the stomach, near the duodenum; opens when a wave of peristalsis passes over it

Small intestine

Villi in the lining of the small intestine

elimination

act of removal of materials from the body

an/o

anus

append/o, appendic/o

appendix

celi/o

belly, abdomen

appendix

blind pouch hanging from the cecum

Appendix

blind pouch hanging from the cecum (in the right lower quadrant - RLQ)

digestion

breakdown of complex foods to simpler forms

common bile duct

carries bile from the liver and gallbladder to the duodenum; also called the choledochus.

Which term is the first part of the large intestine?

cecum

cec/o

cecum

Parts of the large intestine

cecum, appendix, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon, rectum, anal canal

bucc/o

cheek

enzyme

chemical that speeds up reactions between substances; enzyme names end in -ase

mastication

chewing

sphincter

circular ring of muscle that constricts a passage or closes a natural opening

choledoch/o

common bile duct

colon

consists of the ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid segments

Anatomical terms of a tooth

crown, root, enamel, dentin, pulp, gingiva, cementum, root canal, periodontal membrane

Which term means swallowing?

deglutition

bile

digestive juice made in the liver and stored in the gallbladder; breaks up large fat globules; composed of bile pigments, cholesterol, and bile salts

pylorus

distal region of the stomach, opening to the duodenum

Descending colon

downward part of the colon toward the rectum

defecation

elimination of feces from the digestive tract through the anus

amylase

enzyme secreted by the pancreas and salivary glands to digest starch

protease

enzyme that digests protein

triglycerides

fat molecules composed of three parts fatty acids and one part glycerol; subgroup of lipids

Cecum

first part of the large intestine

cecum

first part of the large intestine

Duodenum

first part of the small intestine; duo = 2, den = 10; the duodenum measures 12 inches long

duodenum

first part of the small intestine; measures 12 inches long

Digestion (2)

food is broken down, mechanically and chemically, as it travels through the gastrointestinal tract

Ingestion (1)

food material taken into mouth

sigmoid colon

fourth and last, S-shaped segment of the colon, just before the rectum; empties into the rectum

cholecyst/o

gallbladder

enamel

hard, outermost layer of a tooth

insulin

hormone produced by endocrine cells of the pancreas; transports sugar from the blood into cells and stimulates glycogen formation by the liver

What happens if bilirubin cannot leave the body and remains in the bloodstream?

hyperbilirubinemia (aka jaundice)

Digestive/gastrointestinal system performs 4 main functions:

ingestion, digestion, absorption, elimination

bowel

intestine

Liver

large organ located in the RUQ of the abdomen. the liver secretes bile; stores sugar, iron, and vitamins; produces blood proteins; destroys worn-out red blood cells; and filters out toxins. the normal adult liver weighs about 2.5 to 3 pounds

liver

large organ located in the RUQ of the abdomen; secretes bile; stores sugar, iron, and vitamins; produces blood proteins; destroys worn-out RBCs; filters out toxins; normal adult liver weighs about 2.5 to 3 pounds

portal vein

large vein bringing blood to the liver from the intestines

Rectum

last section of the large intestine, connecting the end of the colon and the anus

rectum

last section of the large intestine, connecting the end of the colon and the anus

cheil/o

lip

Parts of the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas

liver, gallbladder, common bile duct, pancreas, pancreatic duct, duodenum

Parts of the stomach include:

lower esophageal sphincter (LES), fundus, greater curvature, lesser curvature, rugae, body, antrum, pylorus, pyloric sphincter

villi (singular: villus)

microscopic projections in the wall of the small intestine that absorb nutrients into the bloodstream

stomach

muscular organ that receives food from the esophagus

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)

incisor

one of four front teeth in the dental arch

Pancreas

organ behind the stomach; produces insulin (for transport of sugar into cells) and enzymes (for digestion)

pancreas

organ behind the stomach; produces insulin and enzymes

lipase

pancreatic enzyme necessary to digest fats

salivary glands

parotid, sublingual, and submandibular glands

absorption

passage of materials through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream

Transverse colon

passing from right to left of the abdomen

emulsification

physical process of breaking up large fat globules into smaller globules

bilirubin

pigment released by the liver in bile

canine teeth

pointed, dog-like teeth next to the incisors; also called cuspids or eyeteeth

dentin

primary material found in teeth; covered by the enamel in the crown and a protective layer of cementum in the root.

peristalsis

rhythmic contractions of the tubular organs

rugae

ridges on the hard palate and the wall of the stomach

lower esophageal sphincter (LES)

ring of muscles between the esophagus and the stomach

palate

roof of the mouth

parotid gland

salivary gland within the cheek, just anterior to the ear

jejunum

second part of the small intestine

Jejunum

second part of the small intestine; this part of the intestine was always empty when a body was examined after death

glucose

simple sugar

molar teeth

sixth, seventh, and eighth teeth from the middle on either side of the dental arch

amino acids

small building blocks of proteins, released when proteins are digested

papillae (singular: papilla)

small projections on the tongue

Gallbladder

small sac under the liver; stores bile

gallbladder

small sac under the liver; stores bile

uvula

soft tissue hanging from the middle of the soft palate

pulp

soft tissue within a tooth, containing nerves and blood vessels

feces

solid wastes; stool

glycogen

starch; glucose is stored in the form of glycogen in liver cells

hydrochloric acid

substance produced in the stomach; necessary for digestion of food

fatty acids

substances produced when fats are digested; a category of lipids

deglutition

swallowing

Anus

terminal end or opening of the digestive tract to the outside of the body

anus

terminal end or opening of the digestive tract to the outside of the body

Ascending colon

the beginning part of the colon

ileum

third part of the small intestine

Ileum

third part of the small intestine, meaning twisted; when the abdomen was viewed at autopsy, the intestine appeared twisted, and the ileum often was an area of obstruction

pharynx

throat, the common passageway for food from the mouth and for air from the nose

esophagus

tube connecting the throat to the stomach

Esophagus

tube connecting the throat to the stomach; Eso- means inward; phag/o means swallowing