Chapter 6: Digestive System Flashcards
Another name for the GI tract
alimentary canal
Primary function of the GI system
break down food, prepare it for absorption, and eliminate waste
What are the accessory organs of the GI system?
liver, gallbladder, and pancreas
Define bilirubin
Orange-yellow pigment formed during the destruction of erythrocytes that’s taken up by liver cells, and eventually excreted in the feces. Elevated bilirubin in the blood causes jaundice and can indicate liver disease.
Define bolus
Mass of masticated food ready for swallowing.
Define Exocrine gland
Type of gland that secretes its product through excretory ducts to the surface of an organ/tissue, or into a vessel.
Define sphincter
Circular band of muscle fibers that constricts a passage or closes a natural opening of the body.
Define triglycerides
Organic compound, a true fat, made of 1 glycerol and 3 fatty acids. In the blood, these form with proteins to make lipoproteins, which are synthesized by the liver and transported to other tissues where they’re stored for energy.
What’s the correct pathway of food through the body?
oral cavity (secretions from salivary glands) –> pharynx –> esophagus –> stomach –> duodenum (secretions come from liver, pancreas, and gallbladder) –> jejunum –> ileum –> cecum –> ascending colon –> transverse colon –> descending colon –> sigmoid colon –> rectum –> anus.
Facts about the mouth:
Also known as the oral cavity.
Where the process of digestion begins.
Acts as a receptacle for food.
Formed by cheeks (bucca), lips, teeth tongue, and hard and soft palates.
Food is broken down mechanically by teeth and chemically by saliva to form a “bolus”.
How many pairs of salivary glands are in the mouth?
3
Facts about teeth:
Mechanically break down food through mastication.
Covered by hard enamel, which gives them a smooth, white appearance.
3 layers of the teeth (from outermost to innermost):
1) Enamel
2) Dentin: main structure of the tooth.
3) Pulp: contains nerves and blood vessels.
What are the gums (gingiva)?
Pink, fleshy tissue, in which the teeth are embedded.
Functions of the tongue:
Assists in chewing by manipulating the bolus and moving it to the back of the mouth.
Aids in speech production and taste.
Another word for swallowing:
deglutition
Define papillae:
Rough projections on the surface of the tongue that contain taste buds.
4 basic taste sensations:
Sweet, sour, bitter, salty.
Note: taste is closely linked with the sensation of smell.
Function of the hard and soft palates:
Form the roof of the mouth.
Hard palate is the…
Anterior portion of the roof of the mouth.
Soft palate is the…
Posterior portion of the roof of the mouth that forms a partition between the mouth and the nasopharynx.
Pharynx is better known as the…
throat
Function of the uvula:
Guides food bolus down the pharynx.
Function of the pharynx:
Funnel-shaped structure that serves as a passageway to the respiratory and GI tracts and provides a resonating chamber for speech sounds.
The trachea is:
The portion of the pharynx that leads to the lungs
The esophagus is:
The portion of the pharynx that leads into the stomach.
Function of the epiglottis:
Small flap of cartilage that folds back to cover the trachea during deglutition, which forces food to enter the esophagus. At all other times, the epiglottis is upright to allow air to pass through the trachea.
Facts about the stomach:
Sac-like structure in the LUQ of the abdomen.
Acts as a food reservoir that continues chemical/mechanical digestion.
Lined with mucous membranes and rugae that unfold as the stomach fills.
Has a body (central portion), fundus (upper portion), which act as storage areas, and pylorus (lower portion).
Lower esophageal (cardiac) sphincter:
Composed of muscle fibers that constrict once food passes into the stomach, which prevents food from regurgitating into the esophagus.
Body of the stomach
Central portion
Fundus
Upper portion of the stomach
Pylorus
Terminal, funnel-shaped portion where digestion takes place.
Facts about rugae:
Macroscopic, longitudinal folds that unfold as the stomach fills.
Digestive glands within the rugae release hydrochloric acid (HCl) and enzymes. These, along with continued mechanical digestion turn the bolus into a semi-liquid form called chyme.
Chyme
Formed in the stomach; bolus turns into chyme as part of digestion.
pyloric sphincter
Regulates the speed and movement of chyme into the small intestine and prohibits backflow.
Define peristalsis
Process of propelling food through the GI tract by coordinated, rhythmic muscle contractions.
Small intestines
Coiled tube ~20 ft long that starts at the pyloric sphincter and ends at the large intestine; composed of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Digestion is completed in the small intestine with enzymes secreted by the liver and pancreas.
Duodenum
Uppermost second of the small intestine ~10 in long.
Jejunum
Middle second of the small intestine ~8 ft long.
Ileum
Last section of the small intestine ~12 ft long.
Villi
Finger-like projections in the small intestine that absorb nutrients in chyme.
Ileocecal valve
A sphincter muscle at the end of the small intestine that allows undigested material to pass into the large intestine.
Large intestine
~5 ft long; starts at the end of the ileum and extends to the anus. Primary function is to absorb water and minerals and eliminate undigested material. No digestion takes place here; only secretion is mucous to lubricate fecal matter, which allows it to pass through the large intestine.
3 parts of the large intestine:
Cecum
Colon
Rectum
Cecum
First 2-3 in. of the large intestine; small pouch that hangs inferior to the ileocecal valve. Has a small pouch called the appendix.
Appendix
Small, worm-like structure that has no purpose. Can become inflamed (appendicitis) and need surgical removal (appendectomy)
Colon
Separated into the ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, and sigmoid colon.
Ascending colon
Extends from the cecum to the lower border of the liver; turns abruptly to form the hepatic flexure.
Transverse colon
Continues across the upper abdomen and turns abruptly below the spleen to form the splenic flexure.
Descending colon
After the splenic flexure, this continues down the left side of the abdomen until it forms the sigmoid colon.
Rectum
Last part of the GI tract, after the sigmoid colon, that terminates at the anus.
Liver
Largest glandular organ in the body, weighs ~3-4 lbs, located in the RUQ/LUQ beneath the diaphragm.
Functions of the liver:
Producing bile, which aids in the digestion of fat.
Removes glucose from the blood to synthesize glycogen (starch) to retain for later use.
Stores vitamins, such as B12, A, D, E, and K.
Destroys/transforms toxic products into less harmful compounds.
Maintains normal glucose levels in the blood.
Destroys old erythrocytes, releasing bilirubin.
Synthesizing proteins that circulate in the blood.
Functions are vital and death occurs if the liver ceases to function.
Pancreas
Elongated, somewhat flattened organ that’s posteroinferior to the stomach. Performs endocrine and exocrine functions.
Endocrine function of the pancreas:
Pancreas secretes insulin into the bloodstream to maintain normal glucose levels.
Exocrine function of the pancreas:
Produces digestive enzymes that pass into the duodenum through the pancreatic duct; extends along the pancreas and enters the duodenum along with the hepatic duct.
Gallbladder
Sac-like structure on the inferior surface of the liver that stores bile produced by the liver.
Common bile duct
Formed by the cystic duct (gallbladder) and hepatic duct (liver).
Hepatic duct
Formed by the right and left hepatic duct.
Cystic duct
Eventually merges with the hepatic duct to form the common bile duct.
How is bile produced?
Bile production is stimulated by hormone secretions produced in the duodenum when food enters the small intestine. Without bile, fat digestion isn’t possible.
or/o
stomat/o
mouth
or/al: pertaining to the mouth.
stomat/itis: inflammation of the mouth.
gloss/o
lingu/o
tongue
gloss/ectomy: removal of the tongue
lingu/al: pertaining to the tongue.
bucc/o
cheek
bucc/al: pertaining to the cheek
chiel/o
labi/o
lip
chiel/o/plasty: surgical repair of the lip.
labi/al: pertaining to the lip.
dent/o
odont/o
teeth
dent/ist: specialist of the teeth
orth/odont/ist: specialist in the straightening of teeth.
gingiv/o
gums
gingiv/ectomy: removal of the gum(s).
sial/o
saliva, salivary gland
sial/o/lith: stone of the salivary gland.
esophag/o
esophagus
esophag/o/scope: instrument used to examine the esophagus.
pharyng/o
pharynx/throat
pharyng/o/tonsil/itis: inflammation of the pharynx and tonsils.
gastr/o
stomach
gastr/itis: inflammation of the stomach.
pylor/o
pylorus
pylor/o/spasm: involuntary contraction of the pylorus.
duoden/o
duodenum
duoden/o/scopy: visual examination of the duodenum.
enter/o
intestine (usually the small intestine)
enter/o/pathy: disease of the small intestine.
jejun/o
jejunum
jejun/o/rrhaphy: suture of the jejunum
ile/o
ileum
ile/o/stomy: forming an opening in the ileum.
append/o
appendic/o
appendix
append/ectomy: removal of the appendix.
appendic/itis: inflammation of the appendix.
col/o
colon/o
colon
col/o/stomy: forming an opening in the colon.
colon/o/scopy: visual examination of the colon.
sigmoid/o
sigmoid colon
sigmoid/o/tomy: incision of the sigmoid colon.
rect/o
rectum
rect/o/cele: herniation of the rectum.
proct/o
anus, rectum
proct/o/logist: specialist in the study of the anus and rectum.
an/o
anus
peri/an/al: pertaining to around the anus.
hepat/o
liver
hepat/o/megaly: enlargement of the liver.
pancreat/o
pancreas
pancreat/o/lysis: destruction of the pancreas.
cholangi/o
bile vessel
cholangi/ole: bile vessel.
chol/e
bile, gall
chole/lith: gallstone
choledoch/o
bile duct
choledoch/o/plasty: surgical repair of the bile duct.
-emesis
vomit
hyper/emesis: excessive vomiting.
-iasis
abnormal condition (produced by something specified)
chole/lith/iasis: abnormal condition of gallstones.