4 Overview of GI physiology Flashcards
Function of the mouth and pharynx
- Chewing begins
* Initiation of swallowing reflex
Function of the salivary glands’ exocrine secretions
- Salt + water - moisten food
- Mucus - lubrication
- Amylase - polysaccharide-digesting enzyme
Function of the oesophagus and its exocrine secretions
- Oesophagus function:
• Move food to stomach by peristaltic waves - Exocrine secretion:
• Mucus - lubrication
Function of the stomach and its exocrine secretions
- Stomach function:
• Store, mix, dissolve and continue digestion of food
• Regulate emptying of dissolved food into small intestine - Exocrine secretions:
• HCl - solubilisation of food particles; kill microbes
• Pepsin - protein-digesting enzyme
• Mucus - lubricate and protect epithelial surface
Function of the small intestine and its exocrine secretions
- Small intestine function:
• Digestion and absorption of most substances
• Mixing and propulsion of contents - Exocrine secretions:
• Enzymes - food digestion
• Salt and water - maintain fluidity of luminal contents
• Mucus - lubrication
Function of the large intestine and its exocrine secretions
1. Large intestine function: • Storage and concentration of undigested matter • Absorption of salt and water • Mixing and propulsion of contents • Defecation
- Exocrine secretions:
• Mucus - lubrication
Function of the pancreas and its exocrine secretions
- Pancreas function:
• Secretion of enzymes and bicarbonate
• Nondigestive endocrine functions - Exocrine secretions:
• Enzymes - digest carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and nucleic acids
• Bicarbonate - neutralise HCl entering small intestine from stomach
Function of liver and its exocrine functions
- Liver function:
• Secretion of bile; many other nondigestive functions - Exocrine secretions:
• Bile salts - neutralise water-insoluble fats
• Bicarbonate - neutralise HCl entering small intestine from stomach
• Organic water products and trace metals - elimination in faeces
Function of gallbladder
Store and concentrate bile in between meals
List the 5 major physiological processes of the GI system
- Motility
- Secretion
- Digestion
- Absorption
- Excretion
What is motility?
Propulsion of ingested food from mouth to rectum mixing and reduction in particle size to optimise time for digestion and absorption
What is secretion?
Salivary glands, stomach, small intestine, pancreas, liver
- add fluid, electrolytes, enzymes and mucus
What is digestion?
Ingested food is digested into absorbable molecules
What is absorption?
Nutrients, electrolytes and water are absorbed from the intestinal lumen into the blood stream
Example of activity: 1200 ml water/day; 800 g solids/day:
- Saliva secretion?
- Gastric secretion?
- Bile secretion?
- Pancreatic secretion?
- Intestinal secretion?
- Absorption by small intestine
- Absorption by large intestine?
- Water in faeces? Gram of solids?
Secretions: • Saliva - 1500 ml • Gastric - 2000 ml • Bile - 500 ml • Pancreatic - 1500 ml • Intestinal - 1500 ml
Absorption:
• Small intestine - 6700 ml
• Large intestine - 1400 ml
Faeces:
• Water - 100 ml
• 50 g solids
List the major defence mechanisms of GI
- Immunological mechanisms - mucosal immune system (GALT)
2. Non-immunologic mechanisms
What are the immunological defence mechanisms of GI?
Mucosal immune system (gut-associated lymphoid tissue, GALT):
• Organised aggregate of lymphoid tissue - Peyer’s patches
• Diffuse populations of immune cells (lymphocytes and mast cells)
Provides:
• Protection against microbial pathogens
• Mediates immunological tolerance to dietary substance and gut bacteria
What are the non-immunologic defence mechanisms to GI?
- Gastric acid
- Mucin
- Peristalsis
- Epithelial cell layer barrier
What are the layers of the GI wall?
- Mucosa - epithelium, lamina propria, muscularis mucosae
- Submucosa
- Submucosal nerve plexus
- Circular muscle
- Myenteric plexus
- Longitudinal muscle
- Serosa