Accessory GI organs (anatomy) Flashcards
What are the accessory organs of the digestive system?
- Salivary glands associated with the oral cavity - Liver (largest gland in body) - Gallbladder - Pancreas
What are the important functions of the liver?
- Production of bile (which emulsifies fat to facilitate digestion) - Storage of glycogen - Detoxification - Synthesis of albumen (which maintains plasma oncotic pressure) - Synthesis of clotting factors
What are the 2 surfaces of the liver, and what separates them?
- Diaphragmatic surface (facing the inferior surface of the diaphragm) - Visceral surface * Separated by the sharp inferior border!
What are the recesses of the diaphragmatic surface of the liver?
- SUBPHRENIC RECESS : separates the diaphragmatic surface from the diaphragm.
- HEPATORENAL RECESS : between the liver and right kidney and the right suprarenal gland.
The VISCERAL SURFACE of the liver is covered by visceral peritoneum, except for which parts?
The fossa for the gall bladder, and at the porta hepatis.
What are the ligaments associated with the liver?
- Falciform ligament
- Hepatoduodenal ligament
- Hepatogastric ligament
- Right and left triangular ligaments
- Anterior and posterior coronary ligaments.
The “bare area” of the liver is on the diaphragmatic surface where there is no intervening peritoneum between the liver and diaphragm, and the liver is in direct contact with the diaphragm. What are its boundaries?
- Anterior boundary: reflection of peritoneum –anterior coronary ligament
- Posterior boundary : reflection of peritoneum –posterior coronary ligament
- Laterally : where coronary ligaments come together to from right and left triangular ligaments
The liver is divided into two functional lobes: right and left. Describe the blood supply of each, and how each is drained.
each lobe receives its own branch of the hepatic artery and portal vein, and is drained of bile by its own hepatic duct.
What makes up the portal triad?
− Hepatic artery (which carries arterial blood to the liver)
− (Hepatic) portal vein (which carries venous blood containing absorbed nutrients from the GI tract to the liver)
− Hepatic bile duct
The portal triad enters the visceral surface of the liver at a transverse fissure, known as the……………………
porta hepatis
The………….. lobe of the liver is visible on the anterior part of the visceral surface. It is bounded on the left side by the fissure for ligamentum teres and on the right side by the fossa for the gall bladder .
quadrate
The……………… lobe of the liver is visible on the posterior aspect of the visceral surface of the liver. It is bounded on the left side by the fissure for the ligamentum venosum and on the right side by the groove for IVC.
Caudate
The liver is the primary site for detoxification of substances absorbed by the digestive tract. It can be damaged (cirrhosis) by these common things:
chronic alcoholism and hepatitis B & C
functions of gallbladder
bile storage and concentration
parts of the gallbladder
- Fundus: the blunt end that projects from the inferior border of the liver at the tip of the RIGHT 9th COSTAL CARTILAGE
- Body
- Neck: the narrow tapering end that usually makes an S-shaped turn to become continuous with the CYSTIC DUCT.
The gallbladder is closely related to the superior part of the duodenum. Gallstones (cholelithiasis), can develop and can obstruct the passage of bile, causing inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis).
An opening (fistula) may develop into the…………….. part of the duodenum with the gallstone causing obstruction at the……………… junction (gallstone ileus).
SUPERIOR
ileocecal
Describe the bile drainage system:
- The right and left hepatic ducts are formed in liver parenchyma. These 2 hepatic ducts unite to form the common hepatic duct .
- The common hepatic duct is joined by the cystic duct from the gall bladder . This completes the formation of the bile duct.
- The bile duct continues to descend behind the 1st part of the duodenum, and joins the pancreatic duct to enter the 2nd part of duodenum at the major duodenal papilla.
The pancreas is divided into four parts for descriptive purposes. They are:
- Head of the pancreas, which lies within the C-shaped concavity of the duodenum
- Uncinate process, projects from lower part of the head & passes behind the superior mesenteric vessels .
- Neck of the pancreas overlying the superior mesenteric artery and vein.
- Body of the pancreas
- Tail of the pancreas, which is closely related to the spleen.
What is often the first indication of cancer of the pancreatic head?
Why?
painless jaundice
The close relationship of the bile duct descending behind the head of the pancreas means that cancer of the pancreatic head may obstruct the bile duct. The retained bile causes yellowing of body tissues like skin and mucous membranes.
The spleen lies against the diaphragm (rib IX –rib X) in which portion of the abdomen?
left hypochondrium or left upper quadrant of abdomen.
* FYI: The hypochondrium is the upper part of the abdomen on either side, inferior to (below) the thorax, in the area of the lower ribs.
