Alimentary Physiology Flashcards
What are the 4 functions of the GIT?
digestion
absorption
secretion
motility
Where does the GIT start and end?
Beginning of the oesophagus to the end of the rectum
What are the 3 pairs of salivary glands called?
Parotid
Sublingual
Submandibular
Where are the parotid salivary glands located?
Anterior the ears
Either side of the mouth
Where do the sublingual glands secrete from?
Underneath the tongue
Where do the submandibular glands secrete from?
From underneath the jaw
Can the oesophagus work against gravity?
Yes
By what motility movement does food pass down the oesophagus?
Peristalsis
What is the primary role of the stomach?
Storage
Is the stomach an acidic or alkaline environment?
Acidic
What is the primary role of the pancreas?
To secrete enzymes and hormones
What is the functions of saliva?
To act as a lubricant when chewing and breaking down food
What is the function of the gallbladder?
Store and concentrates bile
How much bile can the gall bladder store?
up to 50ml
What colour is the gall bladder?
Green
What is the main function of the small intestine?
Nutrient absorption
What is the primary function of the large intestine?
Water absorption and the formation of faeces
What are the 4 layers of the tube wall of the GIT?
Mucosa
Submucosa
Muscularis Externa
Serosa/Adventitia
What are the 3 layers of the mucosa?
Epithelium
Lamina propria
muscularis mucosae
What is the change in epithelium from the mouth and oesophagus to the stomach, small and large intestine?
Mouth, oesophagus - stratified squamous epithelium
Stomach ect.. - simple columnar
Why does the epithelium differ along the GIT?
Differs for adaptation to function
What is the lamina propria composed of?
Loose connective tissue
What is the submucosa composed of?
Thick irregular connective tissue
What is the function of the submucosa?
To support the mucosa
Both psychically and with blood vessels ect..
What is the submucosal plexus?
Extensive neuron network surrounding the submucosa
What is the muscularis externa composed of?
2 concentric thick layers of smooth muscle
Inner circular
Outer longitudinal
What is the inner layer of concentric muscle in the muscularis externa?
Circular muscle
What is the outer layer of concentric muscle in the muscularis externa?
Longitudinal muscle
What does the circular muscle control?
Lumen diameter
What does the longitudinal muscle control?
The length of the gut tube
What is the name of the neuron network in the muscularis externa?
Myenteric plexus
What is the myenteric plexus + submucosal plexus =?
Enteric nervous system
What is the difference between the serosa and the adventitia?
Adventitia - located outside the peritoneal cavity
Serosa- located within the peritoneal cavity
Which nerve transmits parasympathetic activity to the GIT?
Vagus nerve
CN X
From which cranial nerve does the vagus nerve originate?
Cranial nerve 10
Is the vagus nerve stimulatory or inhibitory of the digestive system?
Stimulatory - REST AND DIGEST
Which nerves innervate parasympathetic activity on salivation?
Facial and glossopharyngeal nerves
Which nerve transmits sympathetic activity to the GIT?
Splanchnic nerves
Is the sympathetic nervous system inhibitory or stimulatory of the GIT activity?
Inhibitory - FLIGHT OR FIGHT
What are the 3 main branches of the abdominal aorta that supply the GIT?
Celiac trunk
Superior mesenteric artery
Inferior mesenteric artery
Which part of the gut does the celiac trunk supply?
Foregut
Which part of the gut does the superior mesenteric artery supply?
Midgut
Which part of the gut does the inferior mesenteric artery supply?
Hindgut
Give examples of organs found in the foregut?
Stomach
Pancreas
Liver
Gallbladder
Give examples of organs found in the midgut?
Small intestine
Ascending colon
Proximal 2/3 of transverse colon
Give examples of organs found in the hindgut
Descending colon
Sigmoid colon
Rectum
Distal 1/3 transverse colon
Which veins drain the stomach?
Gastric veins
Which veins drains the pancreas?
Splenic vein
Which vein drains the midgut?
Superior mesenteric vein
Which vein drains the hindgut?
Inferior mesenteric vein
Where do the superior and inferior mesenteric vein drain into?
Hepatic portal vein
Where does the hepatic portal vein drain into?
Hepatic vein
Where does the hepatic vein drain into?
IVC
Which artery supplies the liver?
Hepatic artery
Which vein drains the liver?
Hepatic vein
Describe the blood in the hepatic artery
Oxygen rich
Nutrient deficient
Describe the blood in the hepatic vein
Oxygen deficient
Nutrient rich
What are the 3 principal dietary constituents?
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Fats
What are the 3 monosaccharides?
Glucose
Galactose
Fructose
What are the 3 disaccharides?
Lactose
Sucrose
Maltose
Which digestive enzyme breaks down lactose?
Lactase
Which digestive enzyme breaks down Maltose?
Maltase
Which digestive enzymes breaks down sucrose?
Sucrase
What is the plant storage form of glucose?
Starch
What the the animal storage of glucose?
Glycogen
Why can’t our digestive enzymes break down cellulose?
Because we don’t produce the enzyme cellulase
Where is cellulose broken down?
In the colon
By bacteria
Which enzyme breaks down starch and glycogen?
Alpha amylase
Which bonds link glucose monomers in starch and glycogen?
Alpha 1,4- glycosidic bonds
Which epithelium covers villi?
Columnar epithelium
What structure is the villi covered in?
Microvilli
Which is villi then covered in microvilli?
To increase surface area for absorption even further
Which membrane is on the outer surface of the vili?
Apical membrane
Which membrane is on the inner surface of the villi?
Basolateral membrane
What is meant by transcellular?
Going through the cell
What is meant by paracellular?
Can pass between the cells as they are not entirely tight
How many proteins are needed to transport molecules through a cell?
At least 2
One to get in
One to get back out
To which ion is glucose transport coupled up to?
Sodium
Through which protein is glucose transported?
GLUT 2
Which transporter transports fructose into the cell?
GLUT 5
Which transporter transports fructose back out of the cell?
GLUT 2
What are proteins polymers of?
Amino acids
Which bond links amino acids to form proteins?
Peptide bonds
Give an example of a post-translational modification in a protein
the addition of carbohydrate
the addition of a phosphate
Enzymes which hydrolyse peptide bonds are known as what?
Proteases
or Peptidases
Where do endopetidases act on?
The inside of the protein
Where do ectopeptidases act on?
On the terminal amino acids of the protein
What are the 2 reactions involved in the formation and breakdown of proteins?
Hydrolisation
Condensation
What are most ingested fats in the form of?
TAG
Which enzyme breaks down fats?
Pancreatic lipase
How does TAG present itself in the GIT?
As large lipid droplets that are insoluble in water
Is lipase a water soluble enzyme?
Yes
What does pancreatic lipase break TAG down into?
Monoglyceride + 2 FA
Why is gut motility in the small intestine important?
Breaks fat globules apart into smaller droplets
What is emulsification?
Dividing large lipid droplets into smaller droplets
Why is emulsification vital?
As it increases the surface area of the fat therefore allowing more accessibility for LIPASE action
What 3 things does emulsification require?
Mechanical disruption
Emulsifying agent
Amphiphatic molecule
What is an amphiphatic molecule?
A molecule that has a polar and a non-polar section
Are micelles absorbed?
No
What are micelles constantly doing?
Breaking down and reforming
Why do micelles constantly break down and reform at the surface of the villi?
To feed a small pool of monoglycerides and fatty acids that are in solution
What part of the fat does the villi absorb?
The freely dissolved monoglycerides and fatty acids
Why can monoglycerides and FA just diffuse across the cell membrane?
Because of there non-polar nature
Once in the cell what happens to the monoglyceride and FA?
They enter the sER
And formed back into TAG
Where is TAG processed in the cell/
In the Golgi apparatus
What are extracellular fat droplets known as?
Chylomicrons
Where do chylomicrons pass into?
Lacteals
What are lacteals the terminal endings of?
Lymphatic system
What are the 2 classes of Vitamins?
Fat soluble
Water soluble
Give examples of fat soluble vitamins
A,D,E,K
Give examples of water soluble vitamins
B, C folic acid
How are fat soluble vitamins absorbed?
They follow the same path as absorbed fats
How is Vitamin B12 absorbed?
Using an intrinsic factor in the stomach
By specific mechanisms in the distal ileum
Where is vitamin B12 stored?
In the liver
Why is vitamin B12 vital for the body?
Important for the maturation of RBC
What does vitamin B12 deficiency lead to?
Leads to the failure of RBC maturation
What % of daily ingested iron is absorbed into the blood?
10%
Where is iron stored?
Ferritin
When blood iron is low what does the body do?
Uses ferritin stores
What is hyperaemia?
When there is increased ferritin levels and therefore more iron bound to RBC
What is anaemia?
When there is decreased ferritin levels
As more iron has been released to the blood
Why do we chew?
To prolong the taste experience
Defence against respiratory failure
How is chewing controlled?
Somatic nerves
Skeletal muscles of the mouth and jaw
Describe the chewing reflex
Contraction of jaw muscles
pressure of food against gums, hard plate and tongue
Mechanoreceptors detect this increase in pressure
Lead to a reduced pressure
Contraction is stimulated again