- absorption
- the process of cells taking in digested substances
- amylase
- an enzyme that helps to break down carbohydrates
- bile
- a fluid created in the liver that aids in digestion of food in the duodenum
- carboxypeptidase
- an enzyme that helps to breakdown fats
- cholecystokinin
- a hormone produced by the small intestine that triggers the pancreas and gallbladder to contract when fats and proteins enter
- chyme
- a mix of gastric juices and digested food
- chymotrypsinogen
- an enzyme that breaks down proteins into smaller particles
- digestion
- the breakdown of solid food that includes both mechanical and chemical actions to form smaller, more absorbable substances in the body’s gastrointestinal tract
- dysbiosis
- a disruption to the microbiome resulting in an imbalance in the microbiota of the intestines
- elastase
- an enzyme that helps break down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates
- fistula
- a condition in which two body parts are abnormally connected
- frenulum
- the small tissue beneath the tongue that provides support
- gastrin
- a peptide hormone that regulates gastric motility, gastric secretion of stomach acid, and gastric mucosal growth
- guaiac test
- a test that confirms the presence of blood in stool
- homeostasis
- a balanced state in the body that allows for proper function
- ingestion
- the first step of the digestive process that involves bringing food and liquids into the body through the mouth
- insulin
- a hormone that assists in the absorption of glucose into cells for energy usage
- intrinsic factor
- a glycoprotein required for vitamin B12 absorption in the small intestine
- lipase
- an enzyme that helps to break down fats
- mastication
- chewing action of the mouth
- meconium
- the first stool passed by a newborn
- melena
- dark, black, or sticky feces
- metabolism
- the part of digestion in which the body converts absorbed substances into energy
- nucleases
- an enzyme that breaks down nucleic acid chains
- pepsin
- an enzyme that begins to break down proteins in the stomach
- protease
- an enzyme that breaks down proteins
- somatostatin
- a hormone that regulates stomach acid secretion during digestion
- succussion splash
- a sloshing or splashing sound heard on auscultation of the abdomen due to excessive fluid remaining in the stomach
- trypsinogen
- an enzyme that helps break down fats into amino acids
- tympany
- a resonant, hollow sound potentially heard during percussion
- uvula
- the fleshy extension that hangs at the back of the throat and at the end of the soft palate