Digestive System

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Accessory Organs

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Organs that assist with the functioning of other organs within a system.

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Amylase

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enzyme in saliva that breaks down starch into simpler sugars.

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Acid

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enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of carbohydrates.

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Catalyst

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A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change.

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Hydrolysis

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The chemical breakdown of a compound due to reaction with water.

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Chyme

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The pulpy acidic fluid that passes from the stomach to the small intestine, consisting of gastric juices and partly digested food.

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Digestive Tract

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The Human gastrointestinal tract refers to the stomach and intestine, and sometimes to all the structures from the mouth to the anus. (The "digestive system" is a broader term that includes other structures, including the accessory organs of digestion).

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Bolus

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A small rounded mass of a substance, esp. of chewed food at the moment of swallowing.

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Macromolecule

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A molecule containing a very large number of atoms, such as a protein, nucleic acid, or synthetic polymer.

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Liver

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organ found in the abdomen that performs hundreds of functions as an accessory organ of the digestive system, including the secretion of bile to digest fats; other functions include plasma protein production, blood detoxification, and glycogen storage.

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Disaccharide

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Any of a class of sugars whose molecules contain two monosaccharide residues.

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Monosaccharide

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Any of the class of sugars (e.g., glucose) that cannot be hydrolyzed to give a simpler sugar.

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Upper Esophageal (Cardiac) Sphincter

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a muscular ring between the esophagus and the stomach that controls the movement of food into and out of the stomach.

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Dehydration Synthesis

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In chemistry and the biological sciences, a dehydration reaction is usually defined as a chemical reaction that involves the loss of water from the reacting molecule. Dehydration reactions are a subset of elimination reactions.

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Gall Bladder

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a small organ that aids digestion and stores bile produced by the liver.

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Gastrin

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stomach hormone that stimulates the secretion of hydrochloric acid and the inactive precursor molecule of pepsin from glands in the stomach.

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Homeostasis

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The tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, esp. as maintained by physiological processes.

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Peptide

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enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of triglycerides into glycerol and fatty acids.

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Bioavailability

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The proportion of a drug or other substance that enters the circulation when introduced into the body and so is able to have an active effect.

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Enzyme

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protein molecule that acts as a catalyst to increase the rate of a reaction.

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Duodenum

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The first part of the small intestine immediately beyond the stomach, leading to the jejunum.

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Microvilli

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microscopic cellular membrane protrusions that increase the surface area of cells, and are involved in a wide variety of functions, including absorption, secretion, cellular adhesion, and mechanotransduction.

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Nucleases

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An enzyme that cleaves the chains of nucleotides in nucleic acids into smaller units.

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Secretin

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A hormone released into the bloodstream by the duodenum (esp. in response to acidity) to stimulate secretion by the liver and pancreas.

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CCK (Cholecystokinin)

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A hormone that is secreted by cells in the duodenum and stimulates the release of bile into the intestine and the secretion of enzymes by the pancreas.

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GIP (Gastric inhibitory peptide)

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Also known as the glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide is a member of the secretin family of hormones.