The
Digestive System
The following questions will
help you to review the material from the lecture, lab as well as the
text.
- What is the overall
physiological problem that is resolved by the digestive system in
animals?
- Outline the fundamental
process of the digestive system.
- Nutrients and energy move
through different levels in the ecosystem via producers and
consumers. Define producers and consumers as well as their roles in
ecosystems.
- Distinguish between
herbivores, omnivores and carnivores.
- What is the difference
between intracellular and extracellular digestion? Do both of these
processes take place in animals? Explain?
- Briefly outline the
evolution of the digestive tract in animals by using several
examples from class.
- Compare and contrast the
digestive process in members of the phyla Cnidaria and
Platyhelminthes (use the free living Turbellarians).
- Compare and contrast the
digestive process in members of the phyla Annelida and Arthropoda
(use the grasshopper the class Insecta as an example).
- Animals can be
categorized by the method used to capture food. Describe four major
methods. Give examples of animals in each category.
- Outline the anatomy of
the digestive tract as exemplified by the human species.
- Do the same for the
digestive process in a human.
- Many animals initiate the
digestive process with a mechanical breakdown. This can occur in the
mouth region or further down in the digestive tract depending on the
animal. Briefly explain the process and its purpose.
- Mammals have a variety of
teeth to accommodate the task of mechanical breakdown. Briefly
describe the variety of teeth and their function in mammals.
- Do all vertebrates use
their teeth to accomplish mechanical breakdown of their food items?
Use reptiles as an examples to illustrate differences between them
and the mammals.
- What is the function of
the tongue in the digestive system?
- How is chemical breakdown
different from mechanical breakdown?
- Explain the process of
peristalsis.
- Describe the structure of
the human stomach.
- Why are there muscular
sphincters present between the stomach and the esophagus (cardiac
sphincter) and between the stomach and the duodenum (pyloric
sphincter)? What is their purpose?
- What is the function of
the stomach?
- Describe the chemical
environment of the stomach. Are any enzymes released from this organ
to participate in chemical digestion?
- What is chyme?
- How do the stomachs
of
a ruminant differ from the human system?
- How do ruminants
accomplish the difficult process of digesting cellulose? Is the
process evolutionarily and ecologically important?
- The size and length of
the small intestine varies greatly between different mammals.
Briefly explain this observation.
- What is the function of
the small intestine?
- What is the function of
bile? Where is bile produced? Where is it stored?
- What is the role of the
pancreas in the digestive process?
- The small intestine is a
highly vascularized organ. Explain.
- The small intestine has a
very high surface area relative to its size. Explain how this is
accomplished from an anatomical perspective.
- How do the three major
macromolecules differ from each other in terms of their breakdown
and absorption (carbohydrates, proteins and lipids)?
- What is the role of the
appendix? The cecum?
- Does the cecum vary in
function between different animals? Explain.
- What is the function of
the large intestine?
- What is the purpose of
elimination? How is elimination controlled?
- Discuss the
importance of nutrition? How do aspects of nutrition vary between
different animal species?
- What is the difference
between macro- and micronutrients?
- Define the concept of
vitamins and their importance. Give examples of vitamins as well as
problems caused by vitamin deficiency.
- Summarize: What is the
overall physiological problem that is resolved by the digestive
system in animals?
- Summarize: Briefly
describe the digestive process by focusing on the following steps -
a. ingestion, b. digestion, c. absorption and d. elimination.
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