NUSC 1165 EXAM 2 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 2026 VERIFIED.
What is ingestion? - ANS Taking food into the mouth.
What is digestion? - ANS Breaking food into components small enough to be absorbed.
What are the energy-yielding nutrients? - ANS Carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
What is absorption? - ANS The process of taking substances directly into the body.
When are energy-yielding nutrients absorbed? - ANS Right after digestion.
What is transit time? - ANS The time food takes to pass through the length of the digestive
tract.
What is normal digestive transit time in healthy adults? - ANS 24-72 hours.
What is mucus in the GI tract? - ANS A viscous fluid secreted by GI glands that lubricates and
protects the digestive tract.
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,What are enzymes? - ANS Protein molecules that speed up chemical reactions and help
break carbs, proteins, and fats into smaller components.
What does amylase break down? - ANS Starch.
What is the end product of starch digestion? - ANS Glucose.
What enzyme breaks down protein in the stomach? - ANS Pepsin.
What enzymes break down protein in the small intestine? - ANS Trypsin and chymotrypsin.
What is the end product of protein digestion? - ANS Amino acids.
What enzyme breaks down triglycerides? - ANS Lipase.
What are triglycerides broken into? - ANS Fatty acids and glycerol.
What regulates the digestive tract? - ANS Nerve signals and hormones.
What can stimulate digestive nerve signals? - ANS Thought, sight, smell, and the presence of
food.
What do digestive nerve signals do? - ANS Cause muscle contractions that churn, mix, and
propel food through the gut.
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,What else do digestive nerve signals do besides movement? - ANS Stimulate or inhibit gastric
secretions and coordinate digestion with other body functions.
What are digestive hormones? - ANS Chemical messengers produced in one organ, released
into the blood, and causing responses at other locations.
What do digestive hormones do? - ANS Help prepare different areas of the gut for food,
regulate digestion, and regulate the rate food moves through the system.
Name two digestive hormones from the study sheet. - ANS Gastrin and secretin.
What is the cephalic response? - ANS Signals from the nervous system that prepare the
digestive system to process food.
What activates the cephalic response? - ANS Sight, sound, and smell of food.
What happens in the mouth during digestion? - ANS Mechanical digestion by chewing and
chemical digestion by secreted enzymes.
What does saliva do? - ANS Moistens food, cleanses the mouth, protects teeth, and
lubricates the upper digestive tract.
What enzyme in saliva blocks bacterial growth that contributes to tooth decay? -
ANS Lysozyme.
What is a bolus? - ANS A mass of chewed food ready to be swallowed.
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, What is the pharynx? - ANS The funnel-shaped opening in the back of the throat responsible
for swallowing the bolus.
Why is the pharynx shared by two systems? - ANS It is used by both the digestive and
respiratory systems.
What is the epiglottis? - ANS The flap that blocks the airway to the lungs as food passes into
the digestive tract.
What is the function of the esophagus? - ANS It connects the pharynx to the stomach.
What is peristalsis? - ANS Vertical muscular contractions that propel food through the GI
tract.
What is the function of a sphincter? - ANS It regulates the passage of food from one region to
another, such as into the stomach.
What are the main functions of the stomach? - ANS Temporary food storage, mixing food,
and protein digestion.
What is chyme? - ANS The mixture formed when the stomach mixes the bolus with HCl and
digestive secretions.
What does HCl do in the stomach? - ANS Acidifies food contents, destroys harmful bacteria,
and activates pepsinogen to pepsin.
What happens to salivary amylase in the stomach? - ANS It is inactivated by stomach acid.
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ANSWERS 2026 VERIFIED.
What is ingestion? - ANS Taking food into the mouth.
What is digestion? - ANS Breaking food into components small enough to be absorbed.
What are the energy-yielding nutrients? - ANS Carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
What is absorption? - ANS The process of taking substances directly into the body.
When are energy-yielding nutrients absorbed? - ANS Right after digestion.
What is transit time? - ANS The time food takes to pass through the length of the digestive
tract.
What is normal digestive transit time in healthy adults? - ANS 24-72 hours.
What is mucus in the GI tract? - ANS A viscous fluid secreted by GI glands that lubricates and
protects the digestive tract.
@COPYRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PAGE 1 OF 41
,What are enzymes? - ANS Protein molecules that speed up chemical reactions and help
break carbs, proteins, and fats into smaller components.
What does amylase break down? - ANS Starch.
What is the end product of starch digestion? - ANS Glucose.
What enzyme breaks down protein in the stomach? - ANS Pepsin.
What enzymes break down protein in the small intestine? - ANS Trypsin and chymotrypsin.
What is the end product of protein digestion? - ANS Amino acids.
What enzyme breaks down triglycerides? - ANS Lipase.
What are triglycerides broken into? - ANS Fatty acids and glycerol.
What regulates the digestive tract? - ANS Nerve signals and hormones.
What can stimulate digestive nerve signals? - ANS Thought, sight, smell, and the presence of
food.
What do digestive nerve signals do? - ANS Cause muscle contractions that churn, mix, and
propel food through the gut.
@COPYRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PAGE 2 OF 41
,What else do digestive nerve signals do besides movement? - ANS Stimulate or inhibit gastric
secretions and coordinate digestion with other body functions.
What are digestive hormones? - ANS Chemical messengers produced in one organ, released
into the blood, and causing responses at other locations.
What do digestive hormones do? - ANS Help prepare different areas of the gut for food,
regulate digestion, and regulate the rate food moves through the system.
Name two digestive hormones from the study sheet. - ANS Gastrin and secretin.
What is the cephalic response? - ANS Signals from the nervous system that prepare the
digestive system to process food.
What activates the cephalic response? - ANS Sight, sound, and smell of food.
What happens in the mouth during digestion? - ANS Mechanical digestion by chewing and
chemical digestion by secreted enzymes.
What does saliva do? - ANS Moistens food, cleanses the mouth, protects teeth, and
lubricates the upper digestive tract.
What enzyme in saliva blocks bacterial growth that contributes to tooth decay? -
ANS Lysozyme.
What is a bolus? - ANS A mass of chewed food ready to be swallowed.
@COPYRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PAGE 3 OF 41
, What is the pharynx? - ANS The funnel-shaped opening in the back of the throat responsible
for swallowing the bolus.
Why is the pharynx shared by two systems? - ANS It is used by both the digestive and
respiratory systems.
What is the epiglottis? - ANS The flap that blocks the airway to the lungs as food passes into
the digestive tract.
What is the function of the esophagus? - ANS It connects the pharynx to the stomach.
What is peristalsis? - ANS Vertical muscular contractions that propel food through the GI
tract.
What is the function of a sphincter? - ANS It regulates the passage of food from one region to
another, such as into the stomach.
What are the main functions of the stomach? - ANS Temporary food storage, mixing food,
and protein digestion.
What is chyme? - ANS The mixture formed when the stomach mixes the bolus with HCl and
digestive secretions.
What does HCl do in the stomach? - ANS Acidifies food contents, destroys harmful bacteria,
and activates pepsinogen to pepsin.
What happens to salivary amylase in the stomach? - ANS It is inactivated by stomach acid.
@COPYRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PAGE 4 OF 41
