The Digestive System

Which of the following organs is part of the alimentary canal, also known as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract?

Which of the four basic tissue layers of the alimentary canal is responsible for motility, specifically the rhythm and force of contractions?

What is the primary function of the digestive process known as propulsion?

What is the average amount of saliva secreted each day by the salivary glands?

Which enzyme, present in saliva, initiates the breakdown of carbohydrates?

During which phase of deglutition does the upper esophageal sphincter relax to allow food to enter the esophagus?

Which cells in the stomach's gastric glands are responsible for producing hydrochloric acid (HCl) and intrinsic factor?

What is the primary role of the hormone gastrin in the digestive process?

How long do the contents of a meal typically remain in the stomach before being completely emptied into the duodenum?

What is the name of the shortest region of the small intestine, which begins at the pyloric sphincter?

Which three features of the small intestine's mucosa and submucosa are responsible for increasing its absorptive surface area more than 600-fold?

The digestion of which major food class is completed in the small intestine with the significant aid of bile?

What is the primary function of the bacterial flora found in the large intestine?

The main digestive function of the liver is the production and export of what substance to the duodenum?

What is the process called by which bile salts and phospholipids break down large lipid globules into many tiny lipid fragments in the small intestine?

Pancreatic juice has a slightly alkaline pH of 7.1 to 8.2. Which component of the juice is responsible for this alkalinity and for buffering the acidic chyme from the stomach?

According to Section 23.7, the chemical digestion of starches begins in the mouth and is completed in the small intestine by pancreatic amylase and which brush border enzyme?

Where does the digestion of protein begin in the alimentary canal?

What tiny lipid-transport compounds, composed of bile salts and phospholipids with a fatty acid and monoacylglyceride core, are essential for the absorption of lipids?

Which of these organs is NOT considered an accessory digestive structure?

Which of the following membranes covers the stomach?

Which of these statements about reflexes in the GI tract is false?

Which of these ingredients in saliva is responsible for activating lingual lipase?

Which structure is located where the esophagus penetrates the diaphragm?

Where does the majority of chemical digestion in the stomach occur?

In which part of the alimentary canal does most chemical digestion and nutrient absorption occur?

What is the role of the small intestine’s MALT (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue)?

Which of these statements about bile is true?

Pancreatic juice performs which of the following functions?

Which of these is involved in the chemical digestion of protein?

Where are most fat-digesting enzymes produced?

What is the apron-like peritoneal fold that lies superficial to the small intestine and is a site of fat deposition in people who are overweight?

The adult human mouth contains how many permanent teeth, including the wisdom teeth?

What is the term for the elimination of undigested materials from the body as feces?

The muscularis layer in the stomach is unique because it has an additional third layer. What is this layer called?

The cephalic phase of gastric secretion is a conditioned reflex. What triggers this phase?

What is the term for the hair-like vascularized projections of the small intestine's mucosa that contain capillary beds and lacteals?

The seminal vesicles are accessory glands that contribute approximately what percentage of the semen volume?

What is the primary carbohydrate in the fluid from the seminal vesicles, which is used by sperm mitochondria to generate ATP?

Final digestion of carbohydrates and proteins is completed by enzymes fixed to the membranes of which structure in the small intestine?

The three lateral bends of the rectum create a trio of internal transverse folds called what?

The absorption of most water, electrolytes, and vitamins produced by enteric bacteria occurs in which organ?

What is the name for the main bile pigment, which is a waste product from the breakdown of red blood cells and gives bile its green color?

What is the term for the process of chewing?

Which type of tooth is described as having a pointed edge (cusp) and being superb for piercing tough or fleshy foods?

The wall of the small intestine is composed of four layers. Which layer lies immediately beneath the mucosa and connects it to the muscularis?

The pancreas produces protein-digesting enzymes like trypsinogen in an inactive form to prevent self-digestion. What intestinal enzyme activates trypsinogen into trypsin?

What is the name for the weak, irregular peristaltic contractions that can be felt in late pregnancy as a result of decreasing progesterone levels?

Almost all (95 to 98 percent) protein is digested and absorbed in the small intestine. What type of transport mechanism is primarily used to absorb the breakdown products (amino acids)?

The absorption of which vitamin is dependent on the secretion of intrinsic factor by the stomach's parietal cells?