Digestive and Cardiovascular System Relationships

Organs that help with digestion but don't directly process food, like salivary glands, liver, or pancreas.

The physical breakdown of food into smaller pieces, like chewing.

The chemical breakdown of food molecules using enzymes, like breaking down proteins into amino acids.

Essential nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, and fats that provide energy and building blocks for the body.

Enzymes are proteins that speed up specific chemical reactions. Each enzyme breaks down a specific type of macronutrient, like amylase breaking down starch.

The process where food is broken down into smaller molecules that can be absorbed by the body.

The movement of oxygen into the lungs and carbon dioxide out.

The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the blood and the air in the lungs.

The process where cells use oxygen and glucose to produce energy, releasing carbon dioxide as a byproduct.

The process of breathing in and out, involving the diaphragm and intercostal muscles.

At high altitudes, there is less oxygen. The body adapts by breathing faster and deeper to get more oxygen.

The path of an oxygenated red blood cell through the circulatory system.

Pulmonary circulation moves blood between the heart and lungs, while systemic circulation moves blood between the heart and the rest of the body.

Plasma (liquid), red blood cells (carry oxygen), white blood cells (fight infection), and platelets (help with clotting).

The system of electrical signals that controls the heartbeat.

The digestive, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems work together to maintain homeostasis, or a stable internal environment. They contribute to cellular respiration, which provides energy for the body.

The liver filters blood and produces bile, which helps digest fats. Without it, fat digestion would be impaired.

The small intestine and the large intestine.

Increased surface area in the small intestine (villi and microvilli) allows for more efficient absorption of nutrients. Increased surface area in lungs (alveoli) allows for more efficient gas exchange.

Macromolecules are too large to be absorbed by the body. They must be broken down into smaller monomers for absorption.

Protein digestion begins in the stomach because the acidic environment and the enzyme pepsin break down protein chains.

The pancreas produces digestive enzymes and insulin. Without it, digestion of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates would be impaired, and blood sugar regulation would be affected.

The nasal passages contain a dense network of capillaries which warm and humidify the air before it reaches the lungs.

The sinoatrial (SA) node, located in the right atrium, generates electrical impulses that spread through the heart, causing it to contract and pump blood.

Hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells, binds to oxygen and carries it throughout the body. More hemoglobin means more oxygen can be transported.

Vasodilation, the widening of blood vessels, increases blood flow to muscles during physical activity, delivering more oxygen and nutrients, and removing waste products.