15 THE GUTS Flashcards
What is the average length of the alimentary canal in an average-sized man?
About forty feet long
What is the average bowel transit time for men?
Fifty-five hours
What is the average bowel transit time for women?
Seventy-two hours
How long does food typically spend in the stomach?
Four to six hours
How long does food typically spend in the small intestine?
Six to eight hours
What is the main function of the colon?
Fermentation of undigested food and fiber
Why is fiber important for gut health?
It keeps gut microbes happy and reduces the risk of several diseases
Where is the stomach located in the human body?
Higher up and off center to the left
What is the technical term for gut rumblings?
Borborygmi
What is chyme?
The consistency of food when it reaches the stomach after digestion
What does the stomach primarily do in digestion?
Contributes chemically and physically but is not vital
How much food can the human stomach hold?
About one and a half quarts
What is the primary role of hydrochloric acid in the stomach?
To kill off many microbes
What is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States?
Green leafy vegetables
What percentage of chicken pieces sold in stores are contaminated with salmonella?
About a quarter
How many cases of salmonella infection are estimated to occur annually in the U.S.?
1,120,000 cases
Who is salmonella named after?
Daniel Elmer Salmon
What was the source of the E. coli outbreak at Jack in the Box in 1992?
Undercooked meat
What is the most common cause of emergency surgery related to the appendix?
Appendicitis
What is the approximate incidence of appendicitis in developed countries?
One in every sixteen people
What is the average length of the small intestine?
About twenty-five feet
What are the three sections of the small intestine?
- Duodenum
- Jejunum
- Ileum
What are villi?
Tiny hairlike projections that increase the surface area of the small intestine
How often are the epithelial cells of the gut replaced?
Every three to four days
What is the vermiform appendix?
The fingerlike protrusion from the cecum with no certain purpose
What did William Beaumont study?
The only stomach on Earth that could be studied directly
What was the name of Beaumont’s landmark book?
Experiments and Observations on the Gastric Juice and the Physiology of Digestion
What is the main danger of a ruptured appendix?
It can lead to death without immediate medical treatment
What is the function of the cecum in humans?
Of no particular consequence
What is the common misconception about salmonella?
That it is related to spawning fish
Fill in the blank: The stomach contributes to digestion by soaking contents in _______.
hydrochloric acid
What is the connection between the small intestine and the large intestine called?
Ileocecal sphincter
What did Sir William Arbuthnot Lane incorrectly believe about the large intestine?
It promoted a buildup of morbid toxins leading to autointoxication
What surgical procedure did Lane perform that was later deemed unnecessary?
Total colectomies
What was Henry Cotton’s belief regarding psychiatric disorders?
They were caused by congenitally misshapen bowels
What did Cotton’s surgical practices result in?
Killed 30 percent of his patients
What important function does the large intestine perform?
Reabsorbs water and houses microbial flora
How much feces does an adult in the West produce daily?
About 200 grams
What are the main components of feces?
- Dead bacteria
- Undigested fiber
- Sloughed-off intestinal cells
- Residues of dead red blood cells
What is the average lifespan feces produced by an adult in the West?
180 pounds a year, 14,000 pounds in a lifetime
Where is most gut cancer found?
In the large intestine
Who was the first person to take a scientific interest in stools?
Theodor Escherich
What microorganism did Escherich discover in babies’ stools?
Escherichia coli
What is E. coli known for in scientific research?
It is the most studied microbe on the planet
What is flatus primarily composed of?
- Carbon dioxide (up to 50 percent)
- Hydrogen (up to 40 percent)
- Nitrogen (up to 20 percent)
What causes the smell of flatus?
Hydrogen sulfide
What tragic event occurred in Nancy, France, in 1978 related to flatus?
An explosion during anal surgery caused by cauterizing a polyp
What modern surgical technique reduces discomfort and eliminates explosive risks during surgery?
Laparoscopic surgery
True or False: Most strains of E. coli are harmful to humans.
False
Fill in the blank: The large intestine is often described as a kind of _______.
Fermentation tank
