Unit 9 Assignment 1: Another Fantastic Adventure
Running Head: IT’S TIME FOR ANOTHER FANTASTIC VOYAGE 1
Another Fantastic Adventure
Roxanne Smith
HS 130, Anatomy & Physiology II
Unit #9 Assignment
Kaplan University
08/02/2013
IT’S TIME FOR ANOTHER FANTASTIC VOYAGE 2 Alright everyone, it’s time for us to set sail on yet another fun filled adventure. I am once again a video reporter, but this time I am actually piloting a mini-sub. The mini-sub that I am piloting has been put through a miniaturization process making me and the sub only 8 microns long. Unfortunately, I have been swallowed by a 55 year old man eating a hamburger, french fries and drinking a root bear. Please join me as I pilot my sub through the gastrointestinal tract and travel my way down. I will also be describing any major organs that I may pass through as I go on this journey and also what happens to the meal during the digestion process. Alright, let’s begin! …show more content…
Beginning with my digestive system, digestion begins in the mouth where food is acted upon by saliva and enzymes like amylase.
Our digestive system is the parts of the body that takes in the nutrition and then breaks it down so that our body cells can use it. Each body part has a specific role to play in digestion and use of food. In this way the nutrition is usable when transported to the cells. It consists of the alimentary canal, which is the long tube within our bodies that starts with the mouth and ends with the anus (“Human Nutrition,” 2011). It also consists of our salivary glands, as well as the pancreas and the liver. My saliva is set in the flow of a motion by my brain reflex that sets in whenever I see or smell food. Amylase is an enzyme that breaks starch down into sugar. It is often present in human saliva, where it begins the chemical process of digestion (Princeton University,
2012).
Some of the carbohydrates within the food in my mouth are broken down into smaller particles by the act of chewing. From my mouth, the food moves to the throat or pharynx which is a common pipe for air and food. The mouth is where food is mechanically digested (“Human Nutrition,” 2011). Before I go into greater detail, I wanted to explain this information about the
IT’S TIME FOR ANOTHER FANTASTIC VOYAGE 3 pharynx and the esophagus. The pharynx is the portion of the digestive tract that receives the food from my mouth. It actually travels down a muscular tube in the chest, which is called my esophagus. The esophagus branches off from the pharynx, it aids in carrying the food to my stomach, it is also known as my food pipe. Within my pharynx is where the act of swallowing takes place as a reflex. My tongue and soft palate, which is the soft part of the roof of my mouth, pushes food into my pharynx, which closes off my trachea where my food then enters my esophagus (Mohan, 2012). The esophagus is a muscular tube extending from the pharynx and behind the trachea to the stomach. Food is pushed through the esophagus and into the stomach by means of a series of contractions called peristalsis (Mohan, 2012). My trachea or windpipe carries the air to my lungs. At the lower end of esophagus, there is an esophageal sphincter which acts as a gateway for my food to enter the stomach. The way this process works is by my sphincter opening up to let my food pass through and then closes it to keep my food there. Just note, that if it doesn’t do this properly then you could be suffering from reflux, which causes heartburn.
The stomach is a sac-like organ with strong muscular walls which also serves as a mixer and grinder for my food. It secretes acid and powerful enzymes that continue the process of breaking my food down and changing it into a consistency of liquid or paste (Mohan, 2012). My stomach lining is called the mucosa, which has many folds in it forming millions of gastric glands. In between meals, the remains of my food will be released from my stomach and rendered through the rest of my intestines to be discarded. After my food has finished breaking down, it then moves into my small intestine. My small intestine is made up of three segments, which are the duodenum, jejunum, and the ileum. The small intestine also breaks down food
IT’S TIME FOR ANTOHER FANTASTIC VOYAGE 4 using enzymes released by the pancreas and bile from the liver (Mohan, 2012). Although these organs don’t participate in digestion, they are still important. The liver produces bile which helps to absorb fat. The bile, which is stored in the gallbladder, acts as a storage unit until it is needed. The pancreas produces enzymes that help aid in digesting proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. My small intestine is very important because this is where most of my nutrients are absorbed. At the lower end of my stomach there is another sphincter which does not allow food to turn back once it enters the duodenum. My duodenum is mainly responsible for the continuing breakdown process, while the jejunum and the ileum are mainly responsible for the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream. The maximum absorption of my food just so happens to occur in my large intestine, which breaks down most of my undigested food. My large intestine is about 6cm in diameter compared to my small intestine, which is about 3cm in diameter (“Human Nutrition,”2011). My large intestine is made up of three parts which are; caecum, colon and rectum.
From my small intestine to the distal ileum my molecules are broken down to much smaller molecules and then eventually get absorbed in my blood through membranes. My food then is absorbed and the veins from my ileum drain eventually into my superior mesenteric vein. My superior mesenteric vein then unites with my splenic vein to develop my hepatic portal vein. The portal venous system in my liver carries my blood to my capillary system, which are hepatic sinusoids of liver. My blood then enters the inferior vena cava to my right atrium, to my right ventricle, to my pulmonary artery, and then to my lungs. The blood from my lungs comes to my left atrium by my pulmonary vein and then to my aorta by means of my left ventricle. The blood from my aorta then goes to my abdominal aorta. Then from there my blood goes into the superior
IT’S TIME FOR ANOTHER FANTASTIC VOYAGE 5 mesenteric artery and to my left renal artery. My blood then enters the kidney through my glomerular membrane in the nephrons. My blood filters from my bowman 's capsule to my renal tubule, that is close to my convoluted tubule, my loop of henley, my distal convoluted tubule and then into collecting my duct system. My blood from my cortex is conceded to my medulla of my kidney. The urine that is then formed is collected by the use of my ureter. The urine from my ureter then passes to my urinary bladder, which then leaves my body from my urethra. The way my body maintains homeostasis through my circulatory system is by my red blood cells, my white blood cells, and by my platelets. Plasma also contributes to my homeostasis by water, proteins, nutrients, wastes, salts and by my hormones. The way my body maintains homeostasis through my digestive system is by providing me with the necessary materials from the food I eat so that it can give me energy. Through my urinary system, my body maintains homeostasis by filtering out excess fluid. My kidneys are the main organs to homeostasis because it maintains the acid balance and the water salt balance of my blood.
IT’S TIME FOR ANOTHER FANTASTIC VOYAGE 6
References
Cummings, B. (2009). Digestive System-Accessory Organs. Retrieved from http://droualb.faculty.mjc.edu/Course Materials/Elementary Anatomy and Physiology 50/Lecture outlines/digestive_system accessory organs.htm
Human nutrition. (2011). Retrieved from http://leavingbio.net/Human Nutrition/Human
Nutrition.htm
Mohan, V. (2012). The digestive system. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/digestive- disorders/digestive-system Princeton University. (2012). Amylase. Retrieved from
http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Amylase.html
Another Fantastic Adventure
Roxanne Smith
HS 130, Anatomy & Physiology II
Unit #9 Assignment
Kaplan University
08/02/2013
IT’S TIME FOR ANOTHER FANTASTIC VOYAGE 2 Alright everyone, it’s time for us to set sail on yet another fun filled adventure. I am once again a video reporter, but this time I am actually piloting a mini-sub. The mini-sub that I am piloting has been put through a miniaturization process making me and the sub only 8 microns long. Unfortunately, I have been swallowed by a 55 year old man eating a hamburger, french fries and drinking a root bear. Please join me as I pilot my sub through the gastrointestinal tract and travel my way down. I will also be describing any major organs that I may pass through as I go on this journey and also what happens to the meal during the digestion process. Alright, let’s begin! …show more content…
Beginning with my digestive system, digestion begins in the mouth where food is acted upon by saliva and enzymes like amylase.
Our digestive system is the parts of the body that takes in the nutrition and then breaks it down so that our body cells can use it. Each body part has a specific role to play in digestion and use of food. In this way the nutrition is usable when transported to the cells. It consists of the alimentary canal, which is the long tube within our bodies that starts with the mouth and ends with the anus (“Human Nutrition,” 2011). It also consists of our salivary glands, as well as the pancreas and the liver. My saliva is set in the flow of a motion by my brain reflex that sets in whenever I see or smell food. Amylase is an enzyme that breaks starch down into sugar. It is often present in human saliva, where it begins the chemical process of digestion (Princeton University,
2012).
Some of the carbohydrates within the food in my mouth are broken down into smaller particles by the act of chewing. From my mouth, the food moves to the throat or pharynx which is a common pipe for air and food. The mouth is where food is mechanically digested (“Human Nutrition,” 2011). Before I go into greater detail, I wanted to explain this information about the
IT’S TIME FOR ANOTHER FANTASTIC VOYAGE 3 pharynx and the esophagus. The pharynx is the portion of the digestive tract that receives the food from my mouth. It actually travels down a muscular tube in the chest, which is called my esophagus. The esophagus branches off from the pharynx, it aids in carrying the food to my stomach, it is also known as my food pipe. Within my pharynx is where the act of swallowing takes place as a reflex. My tongue and soft palate, which is the soft part of the roof of my mouth, pushes food into my pharynx, which closes off my trachea where my food then enters my esophagus (Mohan, 2012). The esophagus is a muscular tube extending from the pharynx and behind the trachea to the stomach. Food is pushed through the esophagus and into the stomach by means of a series of contractions called peristalsis (Mohan, 2012). My trachea or windpipe carries the air to my lungs. At the lower end of esophagus, there is an esophageal sphincter which acts as a gateway for my food to enter the stomach. The way this process works is by my sphincter opening up to let my food pass through and then closes it to keep my food there. Just note, that if it doesn’t do this properly then you could be suffering from reflux, which causes heartburn.
The stomach is a sac-like organ with strong muscular walls which also serves as a mixer and grinder for my food. It secretes acid and powerful enzymes that continue the process of breaking my food down and changing it into a consistency of liquid or paste (Mohan, 2012). My stomach lining is called the mucosa, which has many folds in it forming millions of gastric glands. In between meals, the remains of my food will be released from my stomach and rendered through the rest of my intestines to be discarded. After my food has finished breaking down, it then moves into my small intestine. My small intestine is made up of three segments, which are the duodenum, jejunum, and the ileum. The small intestine also breaks down food
IT’S TIME FOR ANTOHER FANTASTIC VOYAGE 4 using enzymes released by the pancreas and bile from the liver (Mohan, 2012). Although these organs don’t participate in digestion, they are still important. The liver produces bile which helps to absorb fat. The bile, which is stored in the gallbladder, acts as a storage unit until it is needed. The pancreas produces enzymes that help aid in digesting proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. My small intestine is very important because this is where most of my nutrients are absorbed. At the lower end of my stomach there is another sphincter which does not allow food to turn back once it enters the duodenum. My duodenum is mainly responsible for the continuing breakdown process, while the jejunum and the ileum are mainly responsible for the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream. The maximum absorption of my food just so happens to occur in my large intestine, which breaks down most of my undigested food. My large intestine is about 6cm in diameter compared to my small intestine, which is about 3cm in diameter (“Human Nutrition,”2011). My large intestine is made up of three parts which are; caecum, colon and rectum.
From my small intestine to the distal ileum my molecules are broken down to much smaller molecules and then eventually get absorbed in my blood through membranes. My food then is absorbed and the veins from my ileum drain eventually into my superior mesenteric vein. My superior mesenteric vein then unites with my splenic vein to develop my hepatic portal vein. The portal venous system in my liver carries my blood to my capillary system, which are hepatic sinusoids of liver. My blood then enters the inferior vena cava to my right atrium, to my right ventricle, to my pulmonary artery, and then to my lungs. The blood from my lungs comes to my left atrium by my pulmonary vein and then to my aorta by means of my left ventricle. The blood from my aorta then goes to my abdominal aorta. Then from there my blood goes into the superior
IT’S TIME FOR ANOTHER FANTASTIC VOYAGE 5 mesenteric artery and to my left renal artery. My blood then enters the kidney through my glomerular membrane in the nephrons. My blood filters from my bowman 's capsule to my renal tubule, that is close to my convoluted tubule, my loop of henley, my distal convoluted tubule and then into collecting my duct system. My blood from my cortex is conceded to my medulla of my kidney. The urine that is then formed is collected by the use of my ureter. The urine from my ureter then passes to my urinary bladder, which then leaves my body from my urethra. The way my body maintains homeostasis through my circulatory system is by my red blood cells, my white blood cells, and by my platelets. Plasma also contributes to my homeostasis by water, proteins, nutrients, wastes, salts and by my hormones. The way my body maintains homeostasis through my digestive system is by providing me with the necessary materials from the food I eat so that it can give me energy. Through my urinary system, my body maintains homeostasis by filtering out excess fluid. My kidneys are the main organs to homeostasis because it maintains the acid balance and the water salt balance of my blood.
IT’S TIME FOR ANOTHER FANTASTIC VOYAGE 6
References
Cummings, B. (2009). Digestive System-Accessory Organs. Retrieved from http://droualb.faculty.mjc.edu/Course Materials/Elementary Anatomy and Physiology 50/Lecture outlines/digestive_system accessory organs.htm
Human nutrition. (2011). Retrieved from http://leavingbio.net/Human Nutrition/Human
Nutrition.htm
Mohan, V. (2012). The digestive system. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/digestive- disorders/digestive-system Princeton University. (2012). Amylase. Retrieved from
http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Amylase.html