{"id":3093,"date":"2012-06-20T03:48:31","date_gmt":"2012-06-20T03:48:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=3093"},"modified":"2014-07-17T18:25:20","modified_gmt":"2014-07-17T18:25:20","slug":"a-dumplings-eye-view-of-digestion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/a-dumplings-eye-view-of-digestion\/","title":{"rendered":"A Dumpling’s-Eye-View of Digestion"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00ab\u041f\u0438\u0449\u0435\u0432\u0430\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435, \u0441 \u043f\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u043a\u0438 \u0437\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n

We’re going to take a scientific \u044d\u043a\u0441\u043a\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u0441\u0438\u044f<\/b> (“tour”) of the \u043f\u0438\u0449\u0435\u0432\u0430\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0442\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u043a\u0442<\/b> (“digestive tract”), imagining ourselves as Raquel Welch and her fellow crewmembers aboard their microminiaturized \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u0430\u044f \u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043a\u0430<\/b> (“submarine”) from the 1966 sci-film Fantastic Voyage<\/i> (\u00ab\u0424\u0430\u043d\u0442\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0435 \u043f\u0443\u0442\u0435\u0448\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0438\u0435\u00bb<\/b>).<\/p>\n

Passing the \u0433\u0443<\/span>\u0431\u044b<\/b> (“lips”) and entering the the \u0440\u043e\u0442<\/b> (“mouth”), we’ll immediately notice some of the structures \u0432\u043e \u0440\u0442\u0443<\/span><\/b> (“in the mouth”): the \u0437\u0443<\/span>\u0431\u044b<\/b> (“teeth”) embedded in the \u0434\u0451\u0441\u043d\u044b<\/b> (“gums”); the muscular \u044f\u0437\u044b<\/span>\u043a<\/b> (“tongue”), the \u043d\u0451\u0431\u043e<\/b> (“palate; roof of the mouth”) and dangling from that the funny-looking \u044f\u0437\u044b\u0447\u043e<\/span>\u043a<\/b> (“uvula”).<\/p>\n

Less obvious, at first, are the \u0441\u043b\u044e<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0436\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u0435\u0437\u044b<\/b> (“salivary glands”) — and we’ll be seeing the term \u0436\u0435\u043b\u0435\u0437\u0430<\/span><\/b> (“a gland”) quite a bit, so don’t get it mixed up with \u0436\u0435\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0437\u043e<\/b> (“iron”, as in the element Fe)! Not only is \u0441\u043b\u044e\u043d\u0430<\/span><\/b> (“saliva”) indispensible if you want to \u043f\u043b\u0435\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c<\/span> \u043d\u0430 \u0447\u0442\u043e-\u043d\u0438\u0431\u0443\u0434\u044c<\/b> (“spit on something”), but it also contains \u0444\u0435\u0440\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0442\u044b<\/b> (“enzymes”) that chemically split \u043a\u0440\u0430\u0445\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044b<\/b> (“starches”) into \u0441\u0430\u0445\u0430\u0440\u0430<\/span><\/b> (“sugars”).<\/p>\n

From the mouth, the reflexive muscular action of \u0433\u043b\u043e\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435<\/b> (“swallowing”) carries us into the \u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043b\u043e<\/b> (“throat”), down the \u043f\u0438\u0449\u0435\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0434<\/b> (“esophagus”), until we land in the \u0436\u0435\u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u043e\u043a<\/b> (“stomach” in the sense of the internal gastric sac, but the outwardly visible “belly” is \u0436\u0438\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0442<\/b>).<\/p>\n

And we’d better hope our submarine has a sturdy hull, because the \u0436\u0435\u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u043e\u043a<\/b> is filled with concentrated \u0441\u043e\u043b\u044f<\/span>\u043d\u0430\u044f \u043a\u0438\u0441\u043b\u043e\u0442\u0430<\/span><\/b> (“hydrochloric acid”) to begin digesting \u0431\u0435\u043b\u043a\u0438<\/span><\/b><\/span> (“proteins”) into \u0430\u043c\u0438\u043d\u043e\u043a\u0438\u0441\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u044b<\/b> (can you guess?) with the help of more \u0444\u0435\u0440\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0442\u044b<\/b>. Sometimes this combo of acid and enzymes will even start to digest the stomach’s own walls — leading to a painful \u044f<\/span>\u0437\u0432\u0430 \u0436\u0435\u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u043a\u0430<\/b> (“ulcer”).<\/p>\n

Leaving the \u0436\u0435\u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u043e\u043a<\/b>, we enter the \u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u043a\u0430\u044f \u043a\u0438\u0448\u043a\u0430<\/span><\/b>, literally “thin intestine”. (And note the stress of \u043a\u0438\u0448\u043a\u0430<\/span><\/b> so you don’t confuse it — as I often do — with \u043a\u0438<\/span>\u0448\u043a\u0430<\/b> (Yiddishized as k\u00edshke<\/i><\/a>), a traditional dish made by stuffing matzo meal into a \u0431\u044b<\/span>\u0447\u044c\u044f \u043a\u0438\u0448\u043a\u0430<\/span><\/b>, “beef intestine”!)<\/p>\n

Up to this point, the proteins and \u0443\u0433\u043b\u0435\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u044b<\/b> (“carbohydrates”) in a serving of kishke<\/i> or pelmeni<\/i> or whatever have only been partly digested, while \u0436\u0438\u0440\u044b<\/span><\/b> (“fats”) remain totally intact. But except for \u043a\u043b\u0435\u0442\u0447\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u043a\u0430<\/b> (“dietary fiber of plant origin”), which humans and most other animals can’t digest at all, nearly everything we eat \u0441\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0448\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u043e \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u0438\u0442\u0441\u044f<\/b> (“will be completely digested”) within the first 25cm or so of the 6-meter-long [!] small intestine.<\/p>\n

As you might guess by now, digesting all this stuff involves even more \u0444\u0435\u0440\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0442\u044b<\/b>! Many of these are produced by a gland right under the stomach, aptly named the \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0436\u0435\u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u043e\u0447\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0436\u0435\u043b\u0435\u0437\u0430<\/span><\/b> (“pancreas”).<\/p>\n

The digestion of fatty compounds presents a special problem because the intestinal contents are mostly water, but \u0436\u0438\u0440\u044b<\/span> \u043d\u0435 \u0440\u0430\u0441\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e\u0440\u044f<\/span>\u044e\u0442\u0441\u044f \u0432 \u0432\u043e\u0434\u0435<\/span><\/b> (“fats don’t dissolve in water”). So the fat-splitting enzymes need a chemical boost from \u0436\u0435\u043b\u0447\u044c<\/b> (“bile”) — which separates fats into tiny little blobs in much the same way as dish-detergent, and is secreted both by the \u0436\u0451\u043b\u0447\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u043f\u0443\u0437\u044b<\/span>\u0440\u044c<\/b> (“gall bladder”) and the \u043f\u0435<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u043d\u044c<\/b> (“liver”).<\/p>\n

The functions of the \u043f\u0435<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u043d\u044c<\/b> are \u0441\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0438 \u0440\u0430\u0437\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u043d\u044b\u0435<\/b> (“complex and diverse”), but they include the \u043e\u0431\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u043d \u0432\u0435\u0449\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0432<\/b> (“metabolism”; lit., “conversion of substances”) of various chemical compounds in the bloodstream. For instance, most people know that the liver breaks down \u0442\u043e\u043a\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u044b<\/b> (“toxins”) into less harmful forms, including that widely beloved toxin \u0430\u043b\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044c<\/b> (“alcohol”)!<\/p>\n

But what happens in the remaining 5.75m of the \u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u043a\u0430\u044f \u043a\u0438\u0448\u043a\u0430<\/span><\/b>? In one word: \u0432\u0441\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u044b\u0432\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0435<\/b> (“absorption”, etymologically “a sucking-into”). In the small intestine, \u043f\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0432\u0435\u0449\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0430<\/span> \u0438 \u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0448\u043d\u044f\u044f \u0432\u043e\u0434\u0430<\/span> \u0432\u0441\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u044b\u0432\u0430\u044e\u0442\u0441\u044f \u0432 \u043a\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u044c<\/b> (“nutrients and excess water are absorbed into the blood”).<\/p>\n

Next our submarine enters the \u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u0441\u0442\u0430\u044f \u043a\u0438\u0448\u043a\u0430<\/span><\/b> (lit., “thick intestine”), which has a \u0441\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0430<\/span>, \u0431\u043e\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0430\u044f \u0431\u0430\u043a\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0438\u044f\u043c\u0438<\/b> (“environment rich in bacteria”). These \u0431\u0435\u0437\u0431\u0438\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u043f\u0430\u0441\u0441\u0430\u0436\u0438<\/span>\u0440\u044b<\/b> (“unticketed passengers; stowaways”) are sometimes very helpful to their hosts. For example, the human body can’t manufacture Vitamin K, which is essential to the \u0441\u0432\u0451\u0440\u0442\u044b\u0432\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0435 \u043a\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u0438<\/b> (“clotting of blood”); luckily for us, this important nutrient is “farted out” as a waste product by various bacteria! Also, more water is re-absorbed so that the material inside the \u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u0441\u0442\u0430\u044f \u043a\u0438\u0448\u043a\u0430<\/span><\/b> becomes \u0432\u0441\u0451 \u0433\u0443<\/span>\u0449\u0435 \u0438 \u0433\u0443<\/span>\u0449\u0435<\/b> (“more and more thick”) — until eventually it’s known as \u043a\u0430\u043b<\/b> (“feces”).<\/p>\n

And finally Raquel Welch & Co. make a highly undignified exit through the \u0437\u0430<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0445\u043e<\/span>\u0434<\/b> (lit., “rear passageway”) — the polite term for that opening through which a \u0447\u0435\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u043a \u0438\u0441\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0436\u043d\u044f<\/span>\u0435\u0442\u0441\u044f<\/b> (“person defecates”). Of course, there are more “colorful” terms for all this, but that’s for a different post…<\/p>\n

But speaking of functions that civilized people conduct on the \u0443\u043d\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0437<\/b> (“toilet-bowl” — into which our microminiaturized submarine has splashed down!), we shouldn’t forget about \u043c\u043e\u0447\u0435\u0438\u0441\u043f\u0443\u0441\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435<\/b> (“urination”). The \u043f\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u043a\u0438<\/b> (“kidneys”) \u0444\u0438\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u044e\u0442 \u043a\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u044c<\/b> (“filter the blood”), removing \u0430\u0437\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0432\u044b\u0434\u0435\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f<\/b> (“nitrogenous wastes” — a byproduct of protein digestion) and also helping to \u0443\u0440\u0430\u0432\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/span>c\u0438\u0442\u044c \u0441\u043e\u043e\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0448\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435 \u0441\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u0435\u0439 \u0438 \u0432\u043e\u0434\u044b<\/span> \u0432 \u0442\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u0435<\/b> (“balance\/equilibrate the ratio of salts and water in the body”). From the kidneys, the urine goes to the \u043c\u043e\u0447\u0435\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0439 \u043f\u0443\u0437\u044b<\/span>\u0440\u044c<\/b> (“urinary bladder”) for temporary storage until we have a suitable opportunity to \u043c\u043e\u0447\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/b> (“urinate”).<\/p>\n

And on that note, we conclude our tour — I hope the post wasn’t tough to digest!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

\u00ab\u041f\u0438\u0449\u0435\u0432\u0430\u0440\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0435, \u0441 \u043f\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043c\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u0442\u043e\u0447\u043a\u0438 \u0437\u0440\u0435\u043d\u0438\u044f\u00bb We’re going to take a scientific \u044d\u043a\u0441\u043a\u0443\u0440\u0441\u0438\u044f (“tour”) of the \u043f\u0438\u0449\u0435\u0432\u0430\u0440\u0438\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0442\u0440\u0430\u043a\u0442 (“digestive tract”), imagining ourselves as Raquel Welch and her fellow crewmembers aboard their microminiaturized \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0432\u043e\u0434\u043d\u0430\u044f \u043b\u043e\u0434\u043a\u0430 (“submarine”) from the 1966 sci-film Fantastic Voyage (\u00ab\u0424\u0430\u043d\u0442\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0435 \u043f\u0443\u0442\u0435\u0448\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0438\u0435\u00bb). Passing the \u0433\u0443\u0431\u044b (“lips”) and entering the the \u0440\u043e\u0442 (“mouth”), we’ll immediately notice…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":3098,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[117610,1248,117463,541523,111747],"class_list":["post-3093","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-human-body","tag-russian-language","tag-russian-medical-terms","tag-science","tag-useful-russian-phrases"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t