NUTR 280: Exam 2 Questions with Detailed
Verified Answers
What are the primary roles of the digestive system? Ans: to break down food into
nutrients (smaller components), absorb nutrients, and eliminate solid waste products
What is digestion? Ans: process of breaking down large food molecules into nutrients
that the body can absorb
What is absorption? Ans: process of nutrient uptake from the gastrointestinal tract
for transport through the circulatory or lymphatic system
What is the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) or digestive tract? Ans: primary organs of
the digestive system including the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large
intestine (colon), rectum, and anus
What are the accessory organs of the digestive system? Ans: teeth, tongue, salivary
glands, liver, gallbladder, pancreas
What is the mucosa? Ans: innermost layer of digestive tract wall
What is the lumen? Ans: hollow space within the intestine through which food and
fluids can flow
What is mucus? Ans: watery, slippery fluid that protects the intestinal lining and eases
the flow of materials
What are sphincters? Ans: thickened regions of circular muscle that control the flow
of contents at various points in the GI tract
What is mechanical digestion? Ans: physical breakdown of food as it passes through
the intestinal tract
What is chemical digestion? Ans: the breakdown of large nutrient molecules in food
into smaller components, primarily by the action of enzymes
,What is an enzyme? Ans: protein that allows chemical reactions to occur at a rapid
rate
What is the oral cavity? Ans: the cavity of the mouth
What is mastication? Ans: type of mechanical digestion that prepares solid foods for
swallowing and chemical digestion
What is the pharynx? Ans: section of the alimentary canal that connects the nasal
cavity with the top of the esophagus
What are salivary glands? Ans: structures that produce saliva and secrete the fluid into
the oral cavity
What is saliva? Ans: watery fluid that contains mucus and a few enzymes
What is a bolus? Ans: mass of food that has been chewed and mixed with saliva and
mucus
What is salivary amylase? Ans: enzyme in saliva that begins starch digestion
What is a linguine lapse? Ans: enzyme secreted into saliva that begins fat digestion
What are the six basic tastes? Ans: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, savory (umami), fat
What is a lysozyme? Ans: enzyme in saliva that can destroy some bacteria that are in
food or the mouth
What is the sense of smell? Ans: olfaction; contributes to the ability to taste food
What is anosmia? Ans: complete inability to detect odors
What is hypogeusia? Ans: diminished ability to taste
What is ageusia? Ans: total loss of the ability to taste
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, What is the esophagus? Ans: muscular tube that extends about 10 inches from the
pharynx to the upper portion of the stomach
What is the epiglottis? Ans: flap of tough tissue that prevents the food from entering
the larynx and trachea
What is peristalsis? Ans: waves of muscular contractions that help move material
through the intestine
What is the upper esophageal sphincter (UES)? Ans: circular muscle at the back of the
throat that opens to allow a mass of food to enter the esophagus
What is the lower esophageal sphincter (LES)? Ans: circular muscle of lower part of
the esophagus that controls flow of material into the upper part of the stomach; also
known as the gastroesophageal sphincter
What is the stomach? Ans: muscular sac that stores and mixes food
What is gastric juice? Ans: watery solution of stomach secretions that includes mucus,
hydrochloric acid, intrinsic factor, and digestive enzymes
What is an intrinsic factor? Ans: substance necessary for absorbing vitamin B-12
What is a zymogen? Ans: inactive form of a digestive enzyme stored in cells until use
What is gastrin? Ans: hormone that stimulates stomach motility and gastric gland
secretion
What is a hormone? Ans: chemical messenger that conveys information to target cells
What is chyme? Ans: semiliquid mass that forms when food mixes with gastric juice
What is the pyloric sphincter? Ans: circular muscle that regulates the flow of chyme
into the small intestine
What is an acidic base? Ans: solutions with pH values lower than 7
© Get it right 2025 Getaway - Stuvia US All rights reserved
Verified Answers
What are the primary roles of the digestive system? Ans: to break down food into
nutrients (smaller components), absorb nutrients, and eliminate solid waste products
What is digestion? Ans: process of breaking down large food molecules into nutrients
that the body can absorb
What is absorption? Ans: process of nutrient uptake from the gastrointestinal tract
for transport through the circulatory or lymphatic system
What is the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) or digestive tract? Ans: primary organs of
the digestive system including the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large
intestine (colon), rectum, and anus
What are the accessory organs of the digestive system? Ans: teeth, tongue, salivary
glands, liver, gallbladder, pancreas
What is the mucosa? Ans: innermost layer of digestive tract wall
What is the lumen? Ans: hollow space within the intestine through which food and
fluids can flow
What is mucus? Ans: watery, slippery fluid that protects the intestinal lining and eases
the flow of materials
What are sphincters? Ans: thickened regions of circular muscle that control the flow
of contents at various points in the GI tract
What is mechanical digestion? Ans: physical breakdown of food as it passes through
the intestinal tract
What is chemical digestion? Ans: the breakdown of large nutrient molecules in food
into smaller components, primarily by the action of enzymes
,What is an enzyme? Ans: protein that allows chemical reactions to occur at a rapid
rate
What is the oral cavity? Ans: the cavity of the mouth
What is mastication? Ans: type of mechanical digestion that prepares solid foods for
swallowing and chemical digestion
What is the pharynx? Ans: section of the alimentary canal that connects the nasal
cavity with the top of the esophagus
What are salivary glands? Ans: structures that produce saliva and secrete the fluid into
the oral cavity
What is saliva? Ans: watery fluid that contains mucus and a few enzymes
What is a bolus? Ans: mass of food that has been chewed and mixed with saliva and
mucus
What is salivary amylase? Ans: enzyme in saliva that begins starch digestion
What is a linguine lapse? Ans: enzyme secreted into saliva that begins fat digestion
What are the six basic tastes? Ans: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, savory (umami), fat
What is a lysozyme? Ans: enzyme in saliva that can destroy some bacteria that are in
food or the mouth
What is the sense of smell? Ans: olfaction; contributes to the ability to taste food
What is anosmia? Ans: complete inability to detect odors
What is hypogeusia? Ans: diminished ability to taste
What is ageusia? Ans: total loss of the ability to taste
© Get it right 2025 Getaway - Stuvia US All rights reserved
, What is the esophagus? Ans: muscular tube that extends about 10 inches from the
pharynx to the upper portion of the stomach
What is the epiglottis? Ans: flap of tough tissue that prevents the food from entering
the larynx and trachea
What is peristalsis? Ans: waves of muscular contractions that help move material
through the intestine
What is the upper esophageal sphincter (UES)? Ans: circular muscle at the back of the
throat that opens to allow a mass of food to enter the esophagus
What is the lower esophageal sphincter (LES)? Ans: circular muscle of lower part of
the esophagus that controls flow of material into the upper part of the stomach; also
known as the gastroesophageal sphincter
What is the stomach? Ans: muscular sac that stores and mixes food
What is gastric juice? Ans: watery solution of stomach secretions that includes mucus,
hydrochloric acid, intrinsic factor, and digestive enzymes
What is an intrinsic factor? Ans: substance necessary for absorbing vitamin B-12
What is a zymogen? Ans: inactive form of a digestive enzyme stored in cells until use
What is gastrin? Ans: hormone that stimulates stomach motility and gastric gland
secretion
What is a hormone? Ans: chemical messenger that conveys information to target cells
What is chyme? Ans: semiliquid mass that forms when food mixes with gastric juice
What is the pyloric sphincter? Ans: circular muscle that regulates the flow of chyme
into the small intestine
What is an acidic base? Ans: solutions with pH values lower than 7
© Get it right 2025 Getaway - Stuvia US All rights reserved
