What is the term for the action of biting, chewing, and breaking up ingested food into smaller particles?
- A. Peristalsis.
- B. Segmentation.
- C. Metabolism.
- D. Mastication.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D, 'Mastication.' Mastication is the mechanical process of chewing that breaks down food into smaller particles. Peristalsis (choice A) is the involuntary constriction and relaxation of muscles in the gastrointestinal tract that moves food along. Segmentation (choice B) is the mixing movement of the digestive system that helps to break down food and mix it with digestive juices. Metabolism (choice C) refers to the chemical processes that occur within a living organism to maintain life.
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After ingested food is mixed and churned with gastric secretions, the resulting semifluid mass is called:
- A. a bolus.
- B. chyme.
- C. rennin.
- D. glycogen.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: chyme. Chyme is the partially digested food that forms a semifluid mass after mixing with gastric juices. A is incorrect because a bolus refers to a rounded mass of food ready to be swallowed. C, rennin, is an enzyme involved in the digestion of milk proteins and not the term for the semifluid mass after food mixing with gastric secretions. D, glycogen, is a form of stored glucose in the body and is not the term used to describe the partially digested food mass in the stomach.
The lining of the stomach and intestine is protected from self-digestion by:
- A. pepsinogen.
- B. bile.
- C. mucus.
- D. fat.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: mucus. Mucus forms a protective barrier that prevents the stomach and intestine from digesting themselves. Pepsinogen (choice A) is an inactive form of pepsin, a digestive enzyme, and does not protect the stomach lining. Bile (choice B) aids in the digestion and absorption of fats but does not protect the stomach lining. Fat (choice D) is a nutrient and energy source; it does not play a role in protecting the stomach and intestine from self-digestion.
At what pH does the digestion of protein by pepsin in the stomach require?
- A. 1.8 and 3.5.
- B. 4.8 and 7.0.
- C. 6.8 and 8.5.
- D. 7.8 and 10.0.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: 1.8 and 3.5. Pepsin, an enzyme involved in protein digestion, functions optimally in an acidic environment, specifically between pH 1.8 and 3.5. This low pH is necessary for pepsin to break down proteins effectively. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because pepsin requires a highly acidic environment, ruling out the pH ranges listed in those options.
What is the cause of gas formation in the colon?
- A. Consuming refined foods.
- B. Drinking excess water.
- C. Swallowing air while eating.
- D. Bacterial action on organic compounds.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Gas formation in the colon is primarily due to bacterial fermentation of undigested carbohydrates. Choice A, consuming refined foods, is incorrect as gas formation is not directly linked to refined foods but rather undigested carbohydrates. Choice B, drinking excess water, is incorrect as water consumption does not lead to gas formation in the colon. Choice C, swallowing air while eating, is incorrect as this may cause belching but not gas formation in the colon. The correct answer is D because bacterial action on organic compounds, specifically undigested carbohydrates, leads to gas production in the colon.
What is the chemical structure that forms the base component of an amino acid?
- A. carboxyl group
- B. carbon chain
- C. radicals
- D. amino group
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is the amino group. Amino acids consist of an amino group (NH2), a carboxyl group (COOH), a hydrogen atom, and a variable side chain attached to a central carbon atom. The amino group is essential for the formation of proteins. The carboxyl group is not the base component but another important functional group in amino acids. Carbon chain and radicals are not specific chemical structures that form the base component of an amino acid.