ANATOMY - Carnivore Gastrointestinal Tract

Question 1

List the organs of the digestive tract

Answer 1

Oesophagus
Stomach
Small intestine
Large intestine

Question 2

What are the four histological layers of the wall of the gastrointestinal tract?

Answer 2

Serosa/adventitia
Muscularis externa
Submucosa
Mucosa

Question 3

What is the difference between serosa and adventitia?

Answer 3

Serosa is the outer layer of intraperitoneal organs and adventitia is the outer layer of retroperitoneal organs

Question 4

What are the three regions of the oesophagus?

Answer 4

Cervical oesophagus
Thoracic oesophagus
Abdominal oesophagus

Question 5

What is the name of the junction between the pharynx and the oesophagus?

Answer 5

Pharyngeosophageal junction

Question 6

What is the name of the muscle surrounding the pharyngeosophageal junction?

Answer 6

Cricopharyngeal muscle (upper oesophageal sphincter)

Question 7

Where does the cervical oesophagus run within the body?

Answer 7

The cervical oesophagus runs from the pharyngoesophageal junction dorsal to the trachea and towards the cranial thorax

Question 8

Describe the topography of the thoracic oesophagus within the mediastinum

Answer 8

Within the mediastinum, the oesophagus runs dorsal to the trachea, medial to the aortic arch and the azygous vein and ventral to the aorta

Question 9

Which region of the diaphragm does the oesophagus travel through to reach the abdominal cavity?

Answer 9

The oesophageal hiatus of the diaphragm

Question 10

Which vein drains the abdominal oesophagus?

Answer 10

Splenic vein which drains into the hepatic portal system

Question 11

What are vascular ring anomalies and how can they affect the oesophagus?

Answer 11

Vascular ring anomalies are malformations of major blood vessels and can cause oesophageal narrowing and occlusion

Question 12

What are the two layers of the peritoneum?

Answer 12

Parietal peritoneum
Visceral peritoneum

Question 13

What is the difference between the parietal and visceral peritoneum?

Answer 13

The parietal peritoneum lines the abdominal wall and visceral peritoneum wraps around and suspends the intraperitoneal organs

Question 14

What is the name of the space between the parietal and visceral peritoneum?

Answer 14

Peritoneal cavity

Question 15

What is peritoneum made up of?

Answer 15

Periotoneum is made up of serous membranes which are made up of layers of mesothelial cells

Question 16

What is mesentery?

Answer 16

Mesentery is modified peritoneum which suspends the organs of the intraperiotoneal gastrointestinal system

Question 17

What is the mesenteric boundary?

Answer 17

The mesenteric boundary is the side of the intestines that are attached to the mesentery

Question 18

What is the antimesenteric boundary?

Answer 18

The antimesenteric boundary is the side of the intestines that are not attached to the mesentery

Question 19

Describe the location of the two regions of the omentum

Answer 19

Greater omentum: omentum which extends from the greater curvature of the stomach and lies over the intestines

Lesser omentum: omentum which extends from the lesser curvature of the stomach and attaches to the hilus of the liver

Question 20

What is the omental bursa?

Answer 20

The omental bursa is an outpouching of the omentum

Question 21

Through which structure can the omental bursa be accessed?

Answer 21

The omental bursa can be accessed via the epiploic foramen

Question 22

What are the two main functions of the omentum?

Answer 22

Immunoregulation
Tissue regeneration

Question 23

What type of stomach does the carnivore have?

Answer 23

The carnivore has mono-gastric stomach

Question 24

What are the four histological layers of the stomach wall?

Answer 24

Serosa
Muscularis externa
Submucosa
Muscosa

Question 25

What is the name for the folds of mucosa within the stomach?

Answer 25

Rugae

Question 26

What are the four main regions of the stomach?

Answer 26

Cardia Fundum Corpus Pylorus

Question 27

What is the function of the cardiac sphincter?

Answer 27

The cardiac sphincter regulates the movement of material from the oesophagus into the stomach

Question 28

What are the two regions of the pylorus?

Answer 28

Pyloric antrum Pyloric canal

Question 29

What is the function of the pyloric canal?

Answer 29

The pyloric canal acts as a sphincter to regulate the movement of material between the stomach and the duodenum

Question 30

What is the structure which attaches the stomach to the diaphragm and the spleen?

Answer 30

Gastrophrenic ligament

Question 31

Which artery supplies the stomach?

Answer 31

Coeliac artery

Question 32

Which veins drain the stomach?

Answer 32

Splenic vein and Gastroduodenal vein which both drain into the hepatic portal system

Question 33

What is gastric dilatation (volvulus)?

Answer 33

Gastric dilatation (volvulus) is the twisting of the stomach around the cardia and the gastrophrenic ligament leading air to become trapped within the stomach due to the occlusion of the cardia and the pylorus

Question 34

What are the three regions of the small intestine?

Answer 34

Duodenum Jejunum Ileum

Question 35

What are the four histological layers of the small intestinal wall?

Answer 35

Serosa Muscularis externa Submuscosa Muscosa

Question 36

What are the cells that make up the small intestinal mucosal lining?

Answer 36

Enterocytes with microvilli

Question 37

What is the name for the folds of small intestinal muscosa and submucosa?

Answer 37

Plicae circularies

Question 38

What is the function of the villi present on the plicae circularies of the small intestine?

Answer 38

The villi present on the plicae circularies increase the surface area for nutrient absorption in the small intestine

Question 39

What are the Crypts of Leiberkuhn?

Answer 39

The Cryps of Leiberkuhn are the spaces between the villi of the small intestine which contain glandular tissue and stem cells for enterocyte production

Question 40

What are the four regions of the duodenum?

Answer 40

Cranial flexure Descending duodenum Caudal flexure Ascending duodenum

Question 41

Which artery supplies the cranial region of the duodenum?

Answer 41

Coeliac artery

Question 42

Which artery supplies the caudal region of the duodenum?

Answer 42

Cranial mesenteric artery

Question 43

Which veins drain the duodenum?

Answer 43

Gastroduodenal vein and the Cranial mesenteric vein which both drain into the hepatic portal system

Question 44

Which artery supplies the jejunum?

Answer 44

Cranial mesenteric artery

Question 45

Which vein drains the jejunum?

Answer 45

Cranial mesenteric vein which drains into the hepatic portal system

Question 46

List the artery which supplies the ileum

Answer 46

Cranial mesenteric artery

Question 47

Which veins drain the ileum?

Answer 47

Cranial mesenteric vein and Caudal mesenteric vein which both drain into the hepatic portal system

Question 48

What are the three regions of the large intestine?

Answer 48

Caecum Colon Rectum

Question 49

What are the four histological layers of the large intestinal wall?

Answer 49

Serosa/adventitia Muscularis externa Submucosa Muscosa

Question 50

(T/F) There are no villi, microvilli or Crypts of Leiberkuhn present in the large intestinal mucosa

Answer 50

FALSE. There are no villi or microvilli but there ARE Crypts of Leiberkuhn

Question 51

What is the caecum?

Answer 51

The caecum is a blind ending sac

Question 52

Which artery supplies the caecum?

Answer 52

Cranial mesenteric artery

Question 53

Which vein drains the caecum?

Answer 53

Caudal mesenteric vein which drains into the hepatic portal system

Question 54

What is the iliocaecocolic junction?

Answer 54

The iliocaecocolic junction is the junction between the ileum, caecum and colon

Question 55

What are the two components of the iliocaecocolic junction?

Answer 55

Caecocolic orifice: the junction between the caecum and colon Ileocolic orifice: the junction between the ileum and colon

Question 56

What is the function of the ileocolic orifice?

Answer 56

The ileocolic orifice prevent the back flow of colon material into the ileum

Question 57

What are the five regions of the colon?

Answer 57

Ascending colon Right colic flexure Transverse colon Left colic flexure Descending colon

Question 58

Which artery supplies the ascending and transverse colon?

Answer 58

Cranial mesenteric artery

Question 59

Which artery supplies the descending colon?

Answer 59

Caudal mesenteric artery

Question 60

Which vein drains the colon?

Answer 60

Caudal mesenteric vein which drains into the hepatic portal system

Question 61

(T/F) The rectum is a retroperitoneal organ

Answer 61

FALSE. The caudal end of the rectum is retroperiotoneal but the cranial end of the rectum is intraperiotoneal

Question 62

Which artery supplies the rectum?

Answer 62

Caudal mesenteric artery

Question 63

Which vein drains the rectum?

Answer 63

Internal iliac vein which drains into the caudal vena cava

Question 64

What is the Hepatic Portal System?

Answer 64

The Hepatic Portal System is a blood supply which carries nutrient rich blood from the gastrointestinal tract through the liver before draining into the caudal vena cava

Question 65

The convergence of which four veins make up the hepatic portal vein?

Answer 65

Splenic vein Gastroduodenal vein Cranial mesenteric vein Caudal mesenteric vein

Question 66

What is portosystemic shunting?

Answer 66

Portosystemic shunting is an abnormal vascular connection between the hepatic portal system and the systemic circulation which causes the blood from the gastrointestinal system to bypass the liver

Question 67

What are the three ganglia involved in the sympathetic innervation of the gastrointestinal system?

Answer 67

Coeliac ganglia Cranial mesenteric ganglia Caudal mesenteric ganglia

Question 68

What are the two nerves involved in parasympathetic innervation of the gastrointestinal system?

Answer 68

Vagus nerve Pelvic nerve