Anatomy of the Digestive System Glossary of Terms

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Abdomen: The belly, that part of the body that contains all of the structures between the...

Absorb: 1. To take something in, as through the skin or the intestine.
2....

Absorption: Uptake. For example, intestinal absorption is the uptake of food (or other sub...

Alimentary: Concerning food, nourishment, and the organs of digestion. From the Latin alim...

Alimentary canal: The digestive tract. See: Gastrointestinal tract.

Amylase: An enzyme produced in the pancreas and salivary glands that helps in the digestio...

Anatomy: The study of human or animal form, by observation or examination of the living be...

Anus: The opening of the rectum to the outside of the body.

Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that can exist either as independent (free-living) ...

Bile: Bile is a yellow-green fluid that is made by the liver, stored in the gallbladder a...

Bladder: A hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. The kidneys filter waste f...

Bowel: The small and large intestine.

Carbohydrates: Mainly sugars and starches, together constituting one of the three principa...

Cardiac: Having to do with the heart.

Cecum: The first portion of the large bowel, which is situated in the lower-right quadrant...

Chyme: A predigested, acidified mass of food that passes from the stomach into the small i...

Colon: The long, coiled, tubelike organ that removes water from digested food. The remaini...

Colonoscopy: A procedure whereby a physician inserts a viewing tube (colonoscope) into the...

Digestive system: The system of organs responsible for getting food into and out of the bo...

Drain: A device for removing fluid from a cavity or wound. A drain is typically a tube or ...

Duodenum: The first part of the small intestine. The duodenum is a common site for peptic ...

Endoscopy: Examination of the inside of the body by using a lighted, flexible instrument c...

Enzyme: A protein (or protein-based molecule) that speeds up a chemical reaction in a livi...

Enzymes: Proteins that act as a catalysts in mediating and speeding a specific chemical re...

Epiglottis: The flap that covers the trachea during swallowing, so that food does not ente...

Esophagus: The tube that connects the pharynx (throat) with the stomach. The esophagus lie...

Fats: Plural of the word "fat". See the definition of fat.

Feces: The excrement discharged from the 'intestines.

Gallbladder: A pear-shaped organ located below the liver that stores the bile secreted by ...

Gastric: Having to do with the stomach.

Ileum: Part of the small intestine beyond the jejunum and before the large intestine (colo...

Intestine: The long, tubelike organ in the abdomen that completes the process of digestion...

Jaw: The movable junction of the bones below the mouth (the mandible) and the bone just ab...

Jejunum: Part of the small intestine. It is half-way down the small intestine between its...

Large intestine: Comes after the small intestine. Large because it is wider than the smal...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Malabsorption: Poor intestinal absorption of nutrients. Malabsorption can occur from disea...

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

Muscular: Having to do with the muscles. Also, endowed with above average muscle developme...

Organ: A relatively independent part of the body that carries out one or more special func...

Pancreas: A spongy, tube-shaped organ that is about 6 inches long and is located in the ba...

Peristalsis: The rippling motion of muscles in the digestive tract. In the stomach, this m...

Proteins: Large molecules composed of one or more chains of amino acids in a specific orde...

Rectum: The last 6 to 8 inches of the large intestine. The rectum stores solid waste until...

Saliva: a watery secretion in the mouth produced by the salivary glands that aids in the d...

Small intestine: The part of the digestive tract that extends from the stomach to the larg...

Stomach: The digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upp...

Throat: The throat is the anterior (front) portion of the neck beginning at the back of th...

Tongue: A strong muscle that is anchored to the floor of the mouth. The tongue is covered ...

Trachea: A tube-like portion of the respiratory tract that connects the larynx with the br...

Villi: Plural of villus, a tiny finger-like or vascular projection.

Windpipe: The trachea, a tube-like portion of the respiratory (breathing) tract that conn...