MyGCSE: Yummy Digestion!

Hi Readers!

It's been suggested to me through the survey (http://haemobloggings.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/survey.html), that I should provide some content to help with exams for GCSE students!

So today's new post is on GCSE Biology for the Edexcel Exam Board (which has been the most requested).

 First up, is the Digestive System:

Food is moved down the digestive system by peristalsis - the squeezing motion of food being pushed down the gut by the muscles.

 

Mouth

•  The teeth chew food into a bolus for an increased surface area for the enzymes
• Saliva moistens
• Salivary enzymes chemically digest
• Salivary amylase breaks down starch to glucose

Oesophagus

•  Muscular tube which contracts in waves
• Squeezes food to the stomach by peristalsis (but you already know what that is, smarty pants)

Stomach

•  Muscular bag with Hydrochloric acid and enzymes
• Proteins are digested (the acid provides optimum pH for enzymes)
• Microbes are destroyed

Pancreas

•  Makes digestive enzymes and releases them into the small intestine

Liver

• Produces bile

Gall bladder

• Stores biles
• Salts to emulsify fats to again, increase the surface area
• Neutralises stomach acids 

Small intestine

•  Contains lots of digestive enzymes
• Most of the large insoluble food molecules are broken down to soluble molecules which are absorbed by the blood through the villi

Large Intestine

•  Undigested food
• Water and minerals are absorbed into the blood
• Main function: push faeces to rectum
• Faeces are then egested from the anus

Rectum

•  Where faeces is stored

Anus

•  Egests faeces

More next time about enzymes and the villi!

But for now, here's some more information about the digestive system (just don't peak at next week's :D) http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_edexcel/common_systems/digestionrev1.shtml

- Geeker

BrightMed 2: I found this humerus...

 Busy day yesterday!

Well, where do I begin? I met up with some interesting people in the morning,  where we went in pairs and retrieved a clean t-shirt. We then began to follow some instructions towards where each area of the body is. Ribs, lungs, kidneys, etc. And then drew them on a t-shirt.

Sadly though, mine didn't look quite like this:

 But, I'm sure it was close enough. Just kidding, we didn't do the muscles! :)

Then, we entered the computer lab and researched a particular organ of our choice. Ours being the large intestine. Following this, we had to right out simple instructions so that others can draw the large intestine without looking at a picture.

Now, have you ever had to write instructions for where the large intestine is, what angle it is at, and where its ascending colon is found?

Well, have a go:

It was great, I now know exactly where it is positioned, and where it lies according to other organs.

After this, we left the lab and shared our findings with another pair. There's being the adrenal glands. I have to say, I felt sorry for them when they had to work through a one and a half page of large intestine instructions. There's was awesome, it really helps with your individual learning.

Lastly we teamed up in a group of six, and were given a career to research. We were given oncology and took on a particular area of the job. I researched a typical day in the life, and their training requirements. This task itself was particuarly fascinating, as we then had to watch, and present our findings to the rest of the students. This was a key highlight; it made us consider career paths we hadn't looked at in medicine, and adapted our confidence skills when presenting. I'd love to do more of this!

Sadly, it was the end of the day for BrightMed. But, not for my work - I set off onto cadet duty and returned thoroughly satisfied with the overall day I have had.

Here's a interesting video on the digestive system:



Or, here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4waSJqOEJts

Plus, checkout this cool website!: http://www.zygotebody.com/

Now, here's a small joke...

- Geeker