Digestion and absorption Flashcards
gastrointestinal system
- One long tube
- Ingestion
- Secretion
- Motility
- Digestion
- Absorption
- Defecation
ingestion
taking food in
secretion
water, acids, buffers, enzymes
motility
contraction and relaxation of smooth muscle
digestion
mechanical and chemical
absorption
95% via small intestine
defecation
indigestible substances, cells, digested materials not absorbed
oral cavity
Mouth and pharynx - back of mouth
first step in digestion process
mastication (chewing)
what does mastication do?
o Grind up food for swallowing
o Mix food with saliva
o Stimulate taste buds
when is swallowing (deglutition) initiated?
when food bolus forced by tongue to rear of mouth to pharynx - stops food going into lungs
voluntary and involuntary - how hard and what side of mouth
saliva
- Serous (watery) solution containing electrolytes, mucous, proteins (immunoglobulin A, lysozyme) and enzymes (amylase, lipase)
- Produced by 3 pairs of branched glands that provide 95% of total salivary volume (1l/day)
glands that produce saliva
o Parotid (cheek, 60%) o Submandibular (under chin) o Sublingual (under tongue)
salivary gland secretion
- Acinar (mucous) cells produce primary secretion that is isotonic with plasma
- Duct cells actively reabsorb Na+ (and Cl-) ions, some secretion of K+ and HCO3- ions (protection from acid) - make cells more watery
- Impermeable to water, producing hypotonic saliva for lubricant)
stomach
• Stores food/delivers to gut
o Ingestion mins, digestion hours
• Chyme (3 waves/min)
• Secretes 2-3 l/day of gastric juice from mucosa
regulation of gastric secretion
- Cephalic phase
- Gastric phase
- Intestinal phase
cephalic phase
- (30% of response to meal) - start secretion
o Prior to arrival of food in stomach, vision, smell, chewing, taste stimulate gastric secretion (inhibited by fear or depression)
o Gastrin also released (hormone stimulates gastric secretion)
o Before anything goes to stomach - as chewing and when thinking and smell food
gastric phase
- (60% of response to meal) - ramp up secretion
o Stretch and products of protein digestion stimulate gastric secretions
o Gastrin also released by stretch - stimulates secretion of more gastric fluid
o All stimulate motility, larger meals increase rate of emptying
intestinal phase
- slow down secretion
o Chyme entering duodenum decrease gastric secretion and motility
o Removal of peptide fragments (no longer stimulate gastrin release)
o Removal of food leads to decrease in pH (pH < 2 inhibits gastrin release)
o Distention of duodenum leads to release of hormones (inc cholecystokinin (cck)) which inhibits gastrin releas
small intestine
- Absorption of nutrients
- Passes food cyme down system
- Mucosal lining and muscle layer round outside
- Mucosal layer has more folds
- Circular and longitudinal smooth muscle lining - propel food down intestine
- Vascularised villi
why does mucosal layer of SI have more folds?
increase SA
finger like villi
rich blood supply
lymphatic supply
epithelial cells
microvilli
increases SA
vascularised villi
blood supply
capillaries
arterial supply to intestine and venous supply to collect nutrients across mucosal layer into supply delivered to liver
epithelial lining
microvilli
on lumen of gut
nutrients pass
into venous circulation
small intestine motility
• Peristaltic, longitudinal type contractions main propulsive force over short distances (10-15cm)
o Increases when chyme enters - 12x min - upper part - 2/3x min in distal part
o Wave of contractions
o Happens when under tone - increases when chyme enters SI
- Segmentation is alternate contraction and relaxation of whole segments intestine and serve to mix chyme with pancreatic secretions and bile and increase exposure to mucosal surface - adapted for absorption
o Circular smooth muscle