Chapter 35 - The Digestive System

What are the symptoms of an ulcer?

uncomfortably full, nauseous after eating, stomach pain, especially within 3 hours of eating,

A person with a gallbladder disorder may have feces that float because it contains a great deal of

undigested fat

The fundus is the ___________ region of the stomach

upper

After entering the abdominal cavity, the esophagus connects with the

upper part of the stomach

The mucosa of the small intestine has millions of tiny-finger like structures called _____________ (catapillars)

villi

After passing through the esophagus, the food we eat stays in the stomach for _________________ hours where digestion continues to take place

3 to 4

Liquid used in imaging studies that coats the mucosa of the digestive tract and makes the organs appear on an x-ray

Barium

Involves using a special instrument to look inside the digestive tract and obtain tissue or fluids for analysis. Allows doctor to look inside the digestive tract for tumors or other abnormal growths

Endoscopy

A long narrow tube that serves as a passageway for food to get from the pharynx to the stomach

Esophagus

When people with hiatal hernias often have heartburn because the stomach acid moves back into the esophagus. This can cause irritation and inflammation of the lining of the esophagus

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Occurs when part of the stomach passes through the hiatus, the opening in the diaphragm that allows the esophagus to pass into the abdominal cavity. Chances of having this hernia increases with age and is more common in older women.

Hiatal hernia

Occurs when the loop of the intestines bulges through the abdominal wall in the groin area. Repaired surgically.

Inguinal or Femoral Hernias

Bacteria that live in the large intestine act on the chyme to produce vitamin ________ and some ________ vitamins that are absorbed by the body

K, B

Large organ located just underneath the diaphragm

Liver

When the muscle tightens around the trapped tissue, cutting off its blood supply

Strangulated hernia

Occurs around the navel (belly button). If the hernia is very small, no treatment may be needed. However, surgery may be required to repair a larger hernia.

Umbilical hernia

The transverse colon travels

across

What is the hiatus

an opening in the diaphragm

`The rectum is the last segment of the colon. The place where the rectum opens to the outside of the body is the

anus

Inflammation or infection of the appendix

appendicitis

Tiny, closed pouch that dangles from the cecum, has no known function.

appendix

The large intestine is much slow than the small intestines, so the food needs a place to wait until the ______________ is able to accept more food.

ascending colon

Substance that helps with the digestion of fats

bile

What does the liver produce?

bile

Once in the small intestines and duodenum, the chyme mixes with the _________ (secreted by the liver) and the ______________ enzymes secreted by the pancreas

bile, digestive

The submucosa contains

blood vessels and nerves

The _____________ is the main region.

body

Where do the esophagus enter the stomach?

body

What does the digestive system do?

break down food we eat into nutrients that are absorbed into the bloodstream

- Loss in appetite - Indigestion - Pain - Vomiting - Constipation - Changes in Bowel Movements - Blood in stool are all signs and symptoms of

cancer in the digestive tract

The ascending colon travels upward from the

cecum

What is the waiting room for food that is leaving the small intestines through the ileocecal valve and entering the large intestine?

cecum

The large intestine (also called the colon) is 4 1/2 feet long and is much larger than the diameter than the small intestine. It has several distinct regions:

cecum, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon, and the rectum

The process of breaking down food through the use of chemical substances such as enzymes is called

chemical digestion

Most ulcers are

chronic

The peristaltic action of the stomach helps to mix the food with the acids and enzymes, creating a liquid substance called

chyme

The serosa is a tough outer layer of

connective tissue

The walls of rectum gradually expand as the feces build up. At a certain point, the brain senses that the rectum is full and the urge to ___________ occurs

defecate

The sigmoid colon is an s-shaped curve at the end of the

descending colon

the large, flat muscle that separates the abdominal and chest cavities

diaphragm

- Less effective chewing and swallowing - less effective digestion - increased risk for constipation are all effects of aging on the

digestive syste,m

The descending colon travels

down

Ulcers in the duodenum are called

duodenal ulcer

Where does the liver produce bile?

duodenum

The small intestine, which is about 20 feet long, has three regions, what are they?

duodenum, jejunum, and the ileum

Chemical substances in our saliva start to work on the smaller pieces of food, breaking them down even more by breaking the bonds that hold the food molecules together. Substances that have the ability to break chemical bonds are called

enzymes

When you swallow, the ________________ (a flap of cartilage that covers the opening of the larynx) snaps shut to prevent food from passing into the trachea.

epiglottis

A circle of muscular tissue, surrounds the place where the esophagus enters the stomach and keeps food from going back up the esophagus after it has entered the stomach

esophageal (cardiac) sphincter

What are the three main regions of the stomach?

fundus, body, and pylorus

Small pouch attached to the liver

gallbladder

Where is bile produced by the liver that is not secreted directly into the duodenum kept?

gallbladder

Can lead to inflammation and infection of the gallbladder

gallstones

Forms and blocks the flow of bile from the gallbladder into the duodenum

gallstones

Stomach ulcers are called

gastric ulcers

The digestive system is also known as the

gastrointestinal system

The esophagus travels through the chest cavity behind the

heart

If there is a weak area in the muscular wall of the abdomen, and someone does something that requires a lot of phyiscal effort, a ______________ may occur

hernia

Occurs when an internal organ bulges through a weakness in the muscular wall

hernia

The esophagus enters the abdominal cavity, at the ______________

hiatus

Special glands in the stomach lining produce enzymes and stomach acid, officially known as

hydrochloric acid

Ulcers occur when the stomach produce too much

hydrochloric acid

Where does digestion begin?

in the mouth

What does the villi do?

increase the small intestine's ability to absorb nutrients by increasing the surface area of the mucosa

A person with a gallbladder disorder may also have ________________, especially after eating fatty foods

indigestion

The pancreas produces what hormones?

insulin and glucagon

What is the esophageal (cardiac) sphincter do?

keeps food from coming back up through the esophagus

What does the mucosa do?

lines the digestive tract. Helps trap disease-causing microbes.

Another word for chewing is

mastication

The physical breakdown of food, such as occurs when we chew, is called

mechanical digestion

By the time the chyme reaches the jejunum, it is very digested and it's time for the nutrients to reach the bloodstream. To reach the bloodstream, the nutrients pass through the ________________ and blood vessels in the next layer, the submucosa

mucosa

What are the four basic layers of the digestive tube?

mucosa, submucosa, muscle layer, serosa

What is the mucosa?

mucous membrane

What helps move food downward and into the stomach?

mucus secreted by esophageal mucosa and contraction

Once the chyme reaches the jejunum, absorption of ______________ begins.

nutrients

Because bile gives feces their brown color, a person with gallbladder disorder may have feces that are

pale or red-colored

Located behind the stomach, in the curve of the duodenum

pancreas

produce substances that aid in digestion and secretes them into the duodenum

pancreas

In severe cases, the ulcer may affect all of the layers of the stomach or duodenum wall, not just the mucosa. This condition is called a _________________, is life-threatening

penetrating ulcer

Food doesn't go into the trachea, it goes into the _______________ and then into the esophagus

pharynx

What do the salivary glands do?

produce and secrete saliva

What are other functions does the liver have that are not related to digestion?

produces clotting factors and it helps to clean our blood of toxins, such as alcohol and drugs

A circular of muscular tissue that surrounds the place where the stomach empties into the small intestines

pyloric sphincter

Food leaves the stomach through the

pyloric sphincter

What is the bottom region of the stomach?

pylorus

What do insulin and glucagon do?

regulate glucose in the blood

What are the folds of the mucosa that flatten out as food enters the stomach, almost doubling the stomach's holding capacity?

rugae

A substance that helps with chewing and swallowing by moistening the food

saliva

What gland is located near the mouth?

salivary glands

A person with a gallbladder disorder may have episodes of

severe pain

The pyloric sphincter helps to prevent food from returning to the stomach once it enters the

small intestines

The muscle layer contains

smooth muscle

Hollow, muscular holding pouch for food.

stomach

The mucous membrane (mucosa) helps protect the delicate tissues of the digestive tract from ...?

stomach acid

what are the accessory organs of the digestive tract that assist with the breakdown of food?

teeth, tongue, salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas

The digestive system is a long tube or tract, consisting of..?

the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine

- Smoking - Frequent use of the over-the-counter pain medications - Infection with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori can all increase a person's chances of developing

ulcers

Sores caused by wearing away of the protective mucosa that lines the digestive tract

ulcers

What are the four common digestive disorders that you will likely see in the health care setting?

ulcers, hernia, gallbladder disorders, and cancer

Sometimes a hernia can form at the site of an old surgical incision. Other times, the muscle is just __________ in certain areas

weak