Which of these processes occurs in the mouth?

Answer Explanation

a. making enzymes; making bile and processing nutrients; and storing bile

- Correct: The pancreas, liver, and gallbladder help digestion in the following ways:

1. The pancreas produces and secretes digestive enzymes into the small intestine to aid in the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. These enzymes include amylase (for carbohydrates), proteases (for proteins), and lipases (for fats).

2. The liver produces bile, a digestive fluid that emulsifies fats by breaking them down into smaller droplets, which increases the surface area for enzymes to act upon. The liver also processes nutrients absorbed from the small intestine, including carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

3. The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile produced by the liver. When needed for digestion, the gallbladder releases bile into the small intestine via the common bile duct to aid in the emulsification and digestion of fats.

Therefore, option a accurately describes the roles of the pancreas, liver, and gallbladder in digestion.

Answer Explanation

b) proximal small intestine

- Correct: Most digestion occurs in the proximal small intestine, specifically in the duodenum. The duodenum receives chyme from the stomach and plays a crucial role in digestion by mixing the chyme with digestive enzymes and bile. Digestive enzymes from the pancreas, including amylase, lipase, and proteases, break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, respectively, in the duodenum. Bile, produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder, emulsifies fats to aid in their digestion and absorption.

a) stomach

- Incorrect: While digestion begins in the stomach, where proteins are broken down by pepsin and fats are emulsified to some extent by gastric lipase, the majority of digestion occurs in the small intestine, particularly in the duodenum.

c) distal small intestine

- Incorrect: The distal small intestine, including the jejunum and ileum, is primarily involved in nutrient absorption rather than digestion. Although some digestion continues in these regions, the majority of digestive processes have already occurred in the proximal small intestine.

d) ascending colon

- Incorrect: The ascending colon is part of the large intestine and is not directly involved in digestion. Its main function is to absorb water and electrolytes from the indigestible residue of food (feces) before it is excreted from the body.

Answer Explanation

D) The internal temperature increases by about 1ºC.

- Correct: As environmental temperature increases from 20ºC to 30ºC, the body's internal temperature tends to increase slightly. This is due to the body's thermoregulatory mechanisms, which work to maintain a relatively constant internal temperature (around 37ºC or 98.6ºF) despite fluctuations in environmental temperature. When the environmental temperature rises, the body responds by increasing blood flow to the skin and by initiating mechanisms such as sweating to dissipate heat and maintain thermal equilibrium. However, the increase in environmental temperature may result in a slight increase in internal temperature, typically by about 1ºC, as the body works to dissipate excess heat.

A) Both the internal and the skin temperatures reach 40ºC.

- Incorrect: A 10ºC increase in environmental temperature from 20ºC to 30ºC is not likely to cause both internal and skin temperatures to reach 40ºC. Such a significant increase would likely lead to heatstroke or hyperthermia, which can be life-threatening.

B) Both the internal and the skin temperatures increase by about 7ºC.

- Incorrect: A 10ºC increase in environmental temperature is not likely to cause both internal and skin temperatures to increase by about 7ºC. Such a large increase in temperature would be excessive and would likely lead to severe heat-related illnesses.

C) The skin temperature decreases to about 30ºC.

- Incorrect: In response to an increase in environmental temperature, the body typically increases blood flow to the skin and initiates mechanisms such as sweating to dissipate heat. This would not result in a decrease in skin temperature to match the environmental temperature of 30ºC.