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The digestive system breaks down food into:

A. nutrients

B. amylase

C. saliva

D. sphincters

Answer Explanation:

a. nutrients

- Correct: The digestive system breaks down food into nutrients. These nutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water, which are essential for various physiological functions in the body. Once broken down into nutrients through mechanical and chemical digestion, these substances are absorbed by the intestines and transported via the bloodstream to cells throughout the body for energy production, growth, repair, and other metabolic processes.

b. amylase

- Incorrect: Amylase is an enzyme involved in the digestion of carbohydrates. It is produced by salivary glands in the mouth and by the pancreas and helps break down complex carbohydrates into simpler sugars. While amylase is an important component of the digestive process, it is not the end product of digestion.

c. saliva

- Incorrect: Saliva is a fluid secreted by salivary glands in the mouth. It contains water, electrolytes, mucus, and enzymes such as amylase. Saliva helps moisten food, initiate the digestion of carbohydrates, and facilitate swallowing, but it is not the end product of digestion.

d. sphincters

- Incorrect: Sphincters are ring-like muscles that control the movement of materials through various parts of the digestive tract by opening and closing. While sphincters play a crucial role in regulating the flow of food and waste through the digestive system, they are not the end products of digestion.

 

Therefore, the Correct Answer is A.

More Questions on TEAS 7 Science

  • Q #1: Which of these statements about bile is true?

    A. About 500 mL is secreted daily.

    B. Its main function is the denaturation of proteins.

    C. It is synthesized in the gallbladder.

    D. Bile salts are recycled.

    Answer Explanation

    d) Bile salts are recycled.

    - Correct: Bile salts are recycled in the enterohepatic circulation. After aiding in the digestion and absorption of fats in the small intestine, bile salts are reabsorbed in the terminal ileum and transported back to the liver via the portal vein. Once in the liver, they are re-secreted into bile, allowing for their reuse in subsequent digestive processes. This recycling of bile salts is an important mechanism for conserving these critical components of bile.

    a) About 500 mL is secreted daily.

    - Incorrect: The daily secretion of bile by the liver is approximately 600-1000 mL, not 500 mL. Bile is continuously produced by hepatocytes (liver cells) and stored and concentrated in the gallbladder until it is released into the small intestine to aid in fat digestion.

    b) Its main function is the denaturation of proteins.

    - Incorrect: The main function of bile is not the denaturation of proteins. Bile aids in the emulsification and digestion of fats by breaking them down into smaller droplets, increasing the surface area for the action of pancreatic lipase and facilitating the absorption of lipids and fat-soluble vitamins.

    c) It is synthesized in the gallbladder.

    - Incorrect: Bile is not synthesized in the gallbladder. It is produced by hepatocytes (liver cells) in the liver and then stored and concentrated in the gallbladder until needed for digestion.

  • Q #2: Which part of the large intestine attaches to the appendix?

    A. cecum

    B. ascending colon

    C. transverse colon

    D. descending colon

    Answer Explanation

    Cecum attaches to the appendix

  • Q #3: During gastric emptying, chyme is released into the duodenum through the ________.

    A. esophageal hiatus

    B. pyloric antrum

    C. pyloric canal

    D. pyloric sphincter

    Answer Explanation

    c) pyloric sphincter

    - Correct: During gastric emptying, chyme (partially digested food) is released from the stomach into the duodenum through the pyloric sphincter. The pyloric sphincter is a muscular valve located at the junction between the stomach and the duodenum. It regulates the passage of chyme from the stomach into the small intestine, allowing for controlled release and preventing backflow of intestinal contents into the stomach.

    a) pyloric antrum

    - Incorrect: The pyloric antrum is the lower portion of the stomach that leads into the pyloric canal. It is involved in mixing and churning food, but it does not regulate the release of chyme into the duodenum.

    b) pyloric canal

    - Incorrect: The pyloric canal is the narrow portion of the stomach that connects the pyloric antrum to the pyloric sphincter. It is involved in directing chyme toward the pyloric sphincter for release into the duodenum, but it is not the site of chyme release itself.

    The esophageal hiatus is an opening in the diaphragm through which the esophagus passes as it descends from the thoracic cavity into the abdominal cavity. It is not directly involved in gastric emptying.