NATS 1675 Study Guide - Peristalsis, Glycerol, Osteoporosis

• School: York University
• Department: Natural Science
• Course: NATS 1675
• Professor: Ruthanna Dyer

Document Summary

The organs of the digestive system are located within a tube called the gastrointestinal (gi) tract. The purpose of digestion is to hydrolyze, or break down using water, macromolecules (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) to their subunit modules. The subunit molecules, mainly monosaccharaides, amino acids, fatty acids, and glycerol can cross plasma membranes using facilitated and active transport. The following are the processes that are necessary to the digestive processes. Digestion: breakdown of larger pieces of food into smaller pieces that can be acted on by the digestive enzymes. Movememnt: of the gi tract contents along the digestive tract is important for the tract to fulfill its other functions. Food must be passed along from one organ to the next, normally by contractions of smooth muscles tissue called peristalsis, and indigestible remains must be expelled. Absorption: occurs as subunit molecules produced by chemical digestion cross the wall of the gi tract and enter the cells lining the tract.