| Term | Definition |
|---|
| absorption | the process by which digested nutrients pass through the wall of the small intestine into the bloodstream |
| active transport | the process by which materials, using energy supplied by the cell, are moved through a membrane |
| amino acids | the building blocks of proteins |
| amylase | a digestive enzyme that breaks down starch |
| benedict's solution | a chemical indicator that, when added to a solution and heated, changes from blue to light green to red in the prescence of increasing concentrations of sugar |
| bile | a greenish-yellow liquid that breaks large fat droplets into smaller ones so they can mix more easily with the juices from the small intestine and pancreas |
| body system | a group of organs that work together to perform a specific function |
| bolus | a soggy ball of food |
| carbohydrate | one of the three basic food types, may be in the form of starch, sugar, or fiber, found in cereals, breads, and vegetables |
| cell | the smallest unit of an organism that can carry out the basic functions of life |
| chemical digestion | the digestion of food using chemicals |
| chyme | a pulpy mixture of food and gastric juice |
| diffusion | the process by which molecules move from places where they are more concentrated to places where they are less concentrated |
| digestion | the breaking down of food to be used as energy |
| duodenum | the 1st 25 cm of the small intestine; site where most chemical digestion occurs |
| enzyme | a protein that is capable of speeding up a chemical reaction |
| epiglottis | the small flap that covers the trachea when you swallow so that you don't choke |
| fat | one of the 3 basic food types, found in oils and some dairy products; tissue that provides a cushion for various body parts, insulates the body, and stores energy in a concentrated form |
| feces | solid wastes in the large intestine that are expelled from the body during bowel movements |
| gastric juice | a liquid that includes hydrochloric acid and pepsin and that is responsible for the chemical digestion of protein in the stomach |
| heartburn | a painful sensation in the lower esophagus or upper stomach; sometimes caused by excess stomach acid |
| homeostasis | the body's "normal" temperature |
| hydrochloric acid | a component of gastric juice that helps create the environment that pepsin needs to break down protein in the stomach |
| indicator | a substance that changes in some way to indicate the presence of another substance |
| lugol solution | a yellow-brown indicator that turns blue-black when it comes into contact with starch |
| mechanical digestion | digestion of food not using chemicals |
| microvilli | microscopic, fingerlike projections that line the villi and increase the surface area available for absorption of nutrients |
| minerals | chemicals that occur naturally in the environment |
| mucus | a thick, sticky substance that lines and protects to inner walls of the digestive organs; facilitates the passage of food through the digestive tract and helps protect the walls of the digestive tract from being digested |
| nutrients | the fuels your body needs to keep you going |
| organ | a group of different tissues that work together to perform a specific function |
| organism | a complete living thing |
| pancreatic juice | a liquid that comes from the pancreas that is packed with enzymes that help digest carbohydrates, proteins, and fats |
| pepsin | an enzyme in the stomach that breaks down protein |
| peristalsis | regular muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract |
| protein | one of the three basic food types, needed for building and repairing tissue in the body |
| saliva | watery substance secreted by three pairs of glands around the mouth; helps moisten and soften food for swallowing; contains amylase |
| salivary glands | release saliva whenever a human smells, sees, or thinks about food |
| semi-permeable membrane | membranes that are "choosy" about what gets through and what does not |
| sphincter | a ring of muscle that aids in the one way passage of food through the digestive tract |
| tissue | a group of similar cells that work together to carry out a specific function |
| villi | fingerlike projections that line the inner wall of the small intestine and increase the surface area available for absorption of nutrients |
| vitamins | chemicals that have been made by living organisms |
| ulcer | a hole in the stomach caused when there is no mucus protecting a part and the gastric juice attacks the walls of the stomach |
| water | a liquid in your body that is 3/4 of your brain and muscles |
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