Abdomen Flashcards
What is the gastrointestinal tract ?
It is a long tube extending from the mouth to the rectum
What are the components of the gastrointestinal tract ?
Oral cavity > pharynx and oesophagus > stomach > small intestine > large intestine
What are the 3 parts of the small intestine ?
1) duodenum
2) jejunum
3) ileum
What are the different parts of the large intestine ?
1) caecum
2) appendix
3) colon
What are the functions of the gastrointestinal tract ?
- ingestion
- mastication
- deglutition
- digestion
- absorption
- compaction
- defaecation
What can the gastrointestinal tract be split into ?
- upper tract
- lower tract
What does the upper gastrointestinal tract consist of ?
- mouth
- oesophagus
- stomach
- duodenum
What does the lower gastrointestinal tract consist of ?
- jejunum and ileum
- large intestine
What is the upper part of the stomach known as ?
The fundus
What is the lower part of the stomach known as ?
Pylorus
What are the functions of the stomach ?
- reservoir to store food (~4 hours)
- fragments food
- acts as a muscular food mixer
- propels food into the duodenum
What are the gastric secretions ?
- parietal/oxyntic cells secrete HCl and intrinsic factor
- G cells secrete gastrin
- chief/peptic cells secret pepsinogen
Where are parietal cells found ?
At the fundus if the stomach
Where are g cells found ?
At the pylorus of the stomach
Where are peptic cells found ?
At the pylorus of the stomach
What is the function of hydrochloric acid ?
Kills bacteria in food
What is the function of g cells ?
decide gastric emptying (when food leaves the stomach)
What is the function of the small intestine ?
- mixes food with digestive secretions
- completes digestion
- completes absorption
- propels food towards the colon
What are the functions of the pancreas ?
- exocrine function = aqueous components rich in bicarbonate move into the blood through a tube
- endocrine function = secretes hormones such as insulin, glucagon, somatostatin and polypeptides directly into the blood
What is the function of the liver ?
- secretes bile
- regulates metabolism
- synthesises proteins
- stores irons and vitamins
- degrades certain hormones
- excretes many drugs and toxins
Where is bile produced ?
Stored and concentrated in the gallbladder
What is the function of bile ?
Emulsification of fats and lipids
What are the different parts of the colon ?
- ascending colon
- transverse colon
- descending colon
- sigmoid colon
- rectum
What are the functions of the large intestine ?
- resorption of fluid
- compaction
- defaecation (elimination of waste)
What are the abdominal quadrants ?
Just above the quadrants in the midline is the epigastric
Just below the quadrants in the midline is the suprapubic
The quadrants are :
- right upper quadrant
- left upper quadrant
- right lower quadrant
- left lower quadrant
