Unit #2: Digestion
Ingestion (1)
“The Oral Cavity”
Cheek (aka Buccal Tissue)
Lips
Vestibule
• A Structural Support organ designed to support the oral cavity and hold food
• Lined with glands that secrete mucous that lubricates food
• A Structural Support organ designed to hold food and to keep food in the mouth during chewing
• The gap between the lips and teeth
Teeth
Gums (aka the Gingiva)
• Primary agent of mechanical digestion in the mouth
• Used to grind and break up food
• Tissue that surrounds and supports the teeth an teeth tissues
Hard Palate
Soft Palate
Tonsils
• The “roof” of the mouth supported by bone
• The “roof” of the mouth supported by skeletal muscle
• Part of the immune system of the body
• Acts as a “filter” for foreign material in the mouth
Pharynx
Epiglottis
Eustachian Tube
• A muscle group that co-ordinates swallowing
• Controls the intersection between the digestive and respiratory system
• Flap like tissue that prevents food from entering the Trachea (wind pipe)
• Equalizes pressure between the middle ear, throat and nasal cavities
Sublingual Salivary Glands
• 1 of 3 sets of Salivary Glands in the mouth
• Produces Saliva
• Saliva contains the enzyme Salivary Amylase which chemically breaks down Starches (Chemical Digestion)
• Saliva also contains enzymes that clean surfaces of the mouth (teeth, gums, cheeks)
• Saliva also is used to lubricate food
Tongue • The Primary Organ of the Oral Cavity
• 2 Major Parts
• The Root
• This portion of the tongue contains a series of muscle tissues an nerve endings that link the tongue to the rest of the body’s nervous system
• The Body
• This portion of the tongue is involved in “eating” and “drinking”
• On the surface of the body of the tongue are openings called Papillae which are commonly referred to as “Taste Buds”
• Taste buds provide important “triggers” for digestive responses