The Digestive System Vocabulary Worksheet

Name: _________________________________________________ Period: ___________ Date:________________ The Digestive System Vocabulary Worksheet Analyze the given diagram of digestion below. In your own words, define the following processes. PROCESSES DEFINITIONS Digestion The process of breaking down food into substances the body can use for energy, tissue growth, and repair Chemical Digestion The kind of digestion that uses acids and enzymes to break down the food into simpler nutrients that can be absorbed and used by the body cells Mechanical Digestion The process of digestion where food is broken up by being bitten and chewed; physical break down of food Ingestion The process of taking food, drink, or another substance into the body by swallowing or absorbing it Absorption The process of taking nutrients from the digestive system into the blood so they can be used in the body Defecation The act of expelling feces from the digestive tract via the anus; also known as elimination Name: _________________________________________________ Period: ___________ Date:________________ The Digestive System Vocabulary Worksheet On the left is a diagram of gastrointestinal tract. In your own words, define what gastrointestinal tract is. The organs that food and liquids travel through when they are swallowed, digested, absorbed, and leave the body as feces. These organs include the mouth, pharynx (throat), esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus. The gastrointestinal tract is part of the digestive system. Also called alimentary tract and digestive tract. Refer to the diagram above. Then, write the function or description of each organ in the table. ORGANS FUNCTIONS Esophagus carries food and liquid from the mouth to the stomach Stomach takes in food from the esophagus, mixes it, breaks it down, and then passes it on to the small intestine in small portions Small intestine helps to further digest food coming from the stomach and absorbs nutrients and water from food so they can be used by the body Large intestine absorbs water and changes the waste from liquid into stool Rectum receives waste from the colon and stores it until it passes out of the body through the anus Anus the opening at the far end of the digestive tract through which stool leaves the body Appendix acts as a safe house for good bacteria Name: _________________________________________________ Period: ___________ Date:________________ The Digestive System Vocabulary Worksheet Below are the accessory organs of the digestive system. Write the function/description of each organ. Accessory Functions/Descriptions Organs Gallbladder stores bile Liver makes and secretes bile, a thick liquid that helps digest fat Pancreas makes digestive enzymes and fluids which are released in the small intestine to help break down proteins, carbohydrates and fats Looking at the diagram of peristalsis below, define this process. Peristalsis is the series of involuntary, wave-like muscle movements in the cylindrical, hollow tube of the body. It moves food through your gastrointestinal tract. Below is a diagram of villi (singular, villus). By referring to it, identify where it is located and describe its function in the digestive system. Villi are tiny hair-like projections that line the inside of the small intestine. They contain blood vessels and help absorb nutrients.