digestive iii Flashcards
Small intestine gross anatomy
Major organ of digestion and absorption
-2-4 m long; from pyloric sphincter to ileocecal valve
Subdivisions:
- duodenum (retroperitoneal)
- jejunum (attached posteriorly by mesentery)
- ileum (attached posteriorly by mesentery)
Duodenum
Curves around head of pancreas; shortest part (25 cm)
Bile duct from liver and main pancreatic duct from pancreas
- join at hepatopancreatic ampulla
- enter duodenum at major duodenal papilla
- entry controlled by hepatopancreativ sphincter
Gross anatomy of small intestine
Vagus nerve and sympathetics from thoracic splanchnic nerves serve small intestine
Superior mesenteric artery brings blood supply
Veins drain into superior mesenteric veins –> hepatic portal vein –> liver
Structural modifications
- Circular folds (plicae circularis)
- permanent folds (1 cm deep) that force chyme to slowly spiral through lumen –> more nutrient absorption - Villi
- extensions (1 mm) of mucosa with capillary bed and lacteal for absoption –> increase surface area - Microvilli (brush border)
- contain enzymes for carbohydrate and protein digestion –> increase surface area
Intestinal crypts
Intestinal crypt epithelium renewed every 2-4 days
- most = secretory cells that make intestinal juice
- enteroendocrine cells –> enterogastrones
- intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) release cytokines that kill infected cells
- Paneth cells secrete antimicrobial agents (Defensins and lysozymes)
- stem cells divide to make crypt cells
Mucosa
Peyer’s patches protect especially distal part against bacteria (may protrude into submucosa)
B lymphocytes leave intestine, enter blood, protect intestine lamina propria with their IgA
Duodenal (Brunner’s) glands of duodenum secrete alkaline mucus to neutralize acidic chyme
Intestinal juice
1-2 L per day in response to distension or irritation of mucosa
slightly alkaline; isotonic with blood plasma
Largely water; enzyme poor (enzymes of small intestine only in brush border); contains mucus
Facilitates transport and absoption of nutrients
Digestion in small intestine
Chyme from stomach containes
- partially digested carbs and prots
- undigested fats
3-6 hrs in small intestine
- most water absorbed
- pretty much all nutrients absorbed
small intestine, like stomach, has no role in ingestion or defecation
Requirements for digestion and absorption in small intestine
slow delivery of acidic, hypertonic chyme
Delivery of bile, enzymes, an bicarbonate ions from liver and pancreas
mixing
Motility of small intestine: segmentation
Segmentation
- most common motion of small intestine
- initiated by intrinsic pacemaker cells
- mixes and moves contents toward ileocecal valve
- intensity altered by long and short reflexes and hormones (remember parasymp increases)
- wanes in late intestinal (fasting) phase
Motility of small intestine: peristalsis
Initiated by rise in hormone, motilin, in late intestinal phase (every 90-120 mins)
Each wave starts distal to previous
-migrating motor complex
Meal remnants, bacteria, and debris moved to large intestine
From duodenum to ileum takes about 2 hrs
Carb meals move faster, fatty ones move slower
Motility of small intestines: neurons
Local enteric neurons coordinate intestinal motility
Cholinergic sensory neurons may activate myenteric plexus
- causes contraction of circular muscle proximally and of longitudinal muscle distally
- forces chyme along tract
Motilty of small intestine: Ileocecal junction
Ileocecal sphincter relaxes, admits chyme into large intestine when
- gastroileal reflex enhances force of segmentation in ileum
- gastrin increases motility of ileum
Ileocecal valve flaps close when chyme exerts backward pressure
-prevents regurgitation into ileum
Large intestine unique feature
Teniae coli
-three bands of longitudinal smooth muscle in muscularis
Haustra
-pocketlike sacs caused by tone of teniae coli
Epiploic appendages
-fat-filled pouches of visceral peritoneum
Large intestine regions
cecum appendix colon rectum anal canal