The Digestive System

A radioactive substance that coats the mucosa of the digestive tract, making the organs appear sharper and brighter on radiologic studies (x-rays)

A substance produced by the liver that helps with the digestion of fats

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

Substance that have the ability to break chemical bonds

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

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

A small pouch-like organ that is attached to the liver; it stores bile produced by the liver that is not secreted directly into the duodenum

A disorder that occurs when an internal organ bulges through a weakness in the muscular wall of the abdominal cavity

An organ that performs several important functions in the body, including the secretion of bile (a substance needed for digestion of fats), the production of clotting factors (chemicals that help our blood to clot), and the clearance of toxins (such as alcohol and drugs) from the body

Chewing

The process of breaking down food through the use of physical means, such as chewing

An organ that produces substances that aid in digestion, as well as the hormones insulin and glucagon

A circle of muscular tissue that surrounds the place where the stomach empties into the small intestine and helps to prevent food from returning to the stomach once it enters the small intestine

Folds in the lining of the stomach

Glands located near the mouth that produce and secrete saliva, a substance that helps with chewing and swallowing by moistening the food

A hollow, muscular pouch for holding food

Tiny, finger-like structures on the lining of the small intestine that increase the small intestine's ability to absorb nutrients