Digestion Flashcards
Exocrine glands
secrete to the surface of the body or the lumen of the gut
the surface of the body (e.g. sweat glands, sebaceous glands)
The lumen of the digestive tract / gut (e.g. digestive glands)
digestive glands
Salivary glands, Gastric glands , Pancreatic glands, Intestinal glands
Salivary glands
secrete saliva which contains amylase (breaks down starch)
Gastric glands
secretes gastric juices which includes hydrochloric acid and proteases (breaks down protein)
Pancreatic glands
– secretes pancreatic juices which include lipase, protease and amylase
Intestinal glands
secretes intestinal juices via crypts of Lieberkuhn in the intestinal wall
composition of exocrine glands
a cluster of secretory cells which collectively form an acinus
The acini are surrounded by a basement membrane and are held together by tight junctions between secretory cells
The secretory cells possess a highly developed ER and golgi network for material secretion and are rich in mitochondria
Exocrine products
released (via secretory vesicles) into a duct, which connects to an epithelial surface
mechanisms control the secretion of digestive juices
Mechanical, nervous and hormonal mechanisms control the secretion of digestive juices.
The nervous control
mainly provided by the autonomic nervous system
The autonomic system is divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.
sympathetic and parasympathetic systems
The sympathetic system controls processes involved in responses to danger, while the parasympathetic system controls homeostasis and processes related to rest and digestion.The parasympathetic system speeds up digestion when food is ingested, while the sympathetic slows it down when there is no food available.
The hormones involved in the chemical control of digestion
gastrin, secretin and cholecystokinin (CCK)
secreted in the digestive system and travel through blood to the target organs
Gastrin
produced by special cells (called G cells) in the stomach, duodenum and pancreas
stimulates the production of gastric juice by the parietal cells in the gastric glands.
contains a mixture of water, hydrochloric acid and other inorganic ions, enzymes (pepsin, rennin), mucus, various polypeptides, and intrinsic factor.
Intrinsic factor is necessary for absorbing vitamin B12.
secretin
produced by special cells in the small intestine in response to the presence of acid fluid.
presence of gastric acid activates prosecretin into secretin.
When released, it stimulates the production of alkali by the pancreas, neutralising the intestinal components.
pH of the intestine reaches 8, the production of pancreatic juice is stopped by negative feedback
plays a role in osmoregulation as it regulates water homeostasis throughout the body by acting on the kidney, hypothalamus and pituitary gland.
Cholecystokinin (CCK)
produced by the small intestine when food is present in this organ.
It controls the release of pancreatic juice from the pancreas and bile from the gall bladder (bile is produced in the liver and stored in the gall bladder).
It also acts as a hunger suppressor.