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Anatomy & Physiology > Digestive System > Flashcards

Digestive System Flashcards

1
Q

What are the subdivisions of the digestive system ?

A
  1. Digestive tract (30-40 m)
  2. accessory organs
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2
Q

What are some examples of accessory organs ?

A
  • teeth, tongue, salivary glands, liver, gallbladder
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3
Q

What are the key functions of the GI tract?

A
  • digestion
  • absorption
  • storage & elimination
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4
Q

Describe the digestive tract histology

A
  • mucosa
  • submucosa
  • muscularis
  • serosa
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5
Q

Describe the Mucosa

A
  • innermost layer
  • contains the epithelial cells important in lubrication & absorption
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6
Q

Describe the Submucosa

A
  • contains support network blood vessels & immune cells to keep mucosa healthy
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7
Q

Describe the muscularis

A
  • contains muscles necessary for peristalsis
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8
Q

Describe the Serosa

A
  • the outermost layer which allows GI tract to interact with other tissues around it
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9
Q

What are some of the different ways food moves through the GI tract?

A
  • ingestion
  • mastication
  • deglutition
  • peristalsis
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10
Q

Define Ingestion

A

taking food into the mouth

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11
Q

Define Deglutition

A

swallowing food

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12
Q

Define Peristalsis

A
  • rhythmic wave-like contractions that move food through GI tract
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13
Q

Describe the process of the wave-like contractions of peristalsis

A
  • circular smooth muscle contract behind, relaxes un front of bolus
  • followed by shortening of smooth muscle
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14
Q

Define reverse peristalsis

A
  • vomiting
  • causes bolus to move in the opposite direction
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15
Q

What are the 2 types of secretions secreted by the GI tract ?

A
  • Exocrine - lipase, pepsin, amylase
  • Endocrine - gastrin, secretin
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16
Q

What are the 4 different categories of digestive enzymes ?

A
  1. Carbohydrases
  2. proteases/peptidases
  3. Lipases
  4. Nucleases
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17
Q

Why are some enzymes synthesised as inactive precursors ?

A

if they produced inside the cell this would lead to autolysis (self digestion)

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18
Q

How are digestive enzymes that are secreted inactive activated ?

A
  • via cleavage or 1 or a few specific peptide bonds
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19
Q

What are the 3 types of peritoneum ?

A
  1. Visceral = covers organs
  2. Parietal = covers interior surface of body wall
  3. Retroparietal = behind peritoneum as kidneys, pancreas and duodenum
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20
Q

Define Mesenteries

A
  • routes which vessels & nerves pass from body wall to organs
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21
Q

Define the Greater Omentum

A

Apron-like structure that lies superficial to the small intestine & transverse colon - a site of fat deposition in people who are overweight

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22
Q

Describe the Lesser Omentum

A

Suspends the stomach from the inferior border of the liver
- provides pathway for structure to the liver

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23
Q

What are the 3 pairs of salivary glands?

A
  • parotid - 25%
  • Submandibular - 70%
  • Sublingual - 5%
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24
Q

What are the properties of Saliva ?

A
  • 99.5% water
  • salivary amylase & lysozyme
  • electrolytes
  • pH 6.8-7
25
What are the functions of saliva ?
- cleansing of mouth - prevents bacterial infection - lubrication, mucus = aids swallowing - facilitation of taste - aids in speech
26
What are the 3 phases of Deglutition ?
- voluntary - pharyngeal - oesophageal
27
Describe the Oesophagus
- muscular tube - 10 inches long in adults - moves food to stomach - no absorption - food is propelled via peristalsis - major layers = mucosa, submucosa, muscular
28
What are the 5 regions of the stomach ?
- cardiac - fundus - body - antrum/pyloric
29
What are the 4 layers of the stomach ?
1. mucosa 2. submucosa 3. muscularis 4. serosa
30
What are the 3 sub layers of the muscularis ?
- longitudinal - circular - oblique
31
What are Rugae ?
- folds in stomach lining to increase surface area with the lumen
32
What are the functions of the stomach ?
- disinfection via acidic conditions - digestion - mechanical breakdown via churning - disruption via acidic environment breaking chemical bonds
33
What Gastric pits ?
opening for gastric glands
34
What are the 3 phases involved in gastric acid secretion & regulation ?
1. Cephalic phase 2. Gastric phase 3. intestinal phase
35
Describe the Cephalic Phase
* stimuli = sight/smell/taste/chewing * pathway = parasympathetic nerves * effect = increased HCI secretion
36
Describe the Gastric Phase
- stimuli = distention, pH - pathway = gastrin, long, short neural reflexes - effect = increased HCl secretion
37
Describe the Intestinal Phase
- stimuli = distension, pH, osmolarity - pathway = secretin, CCK, short neural reflexes - effect = decreased HCl secretion
38
Describes the Movement in stomach
- controlled pacemaker cell in longitudinal muscle layer - swallowing centre signals stomach to relax - arrriving food stretches the stomach activating a receptive-relaxtiong response --> resists stretching briefly but relaxes to hold more food
39
Describe the structure of the small intestine
- 4 layers - mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, serosa - 6m long - 3 sections - duodenum, jejunum, ileum - Ileocecal valve = where ileum connects to colon - contains plicae circulares & intestinal vili
40
Define Plicae Circulares
- the permanent spiral or circular folds in the lining of the small intestine
41
What cells are present in the Mucosa of the small intestine ?
- absorptive, goblet, granular , endocrine
42
What is the function of intestinal stem cells ?
replace lost or damaged intestinal cells
43
What is the function of Paneth Cells ?
involved in intestinal defence
44
What is the function of goblet cells ?
produce lubricating mucus
45
What is the function of Enterocytes?
absorbs nutrients
46
What does the small intestine secrete ?
- mucus - digestive enzymes = peptidases/nucleases
47
Define Chyme
- acidic fluid which passes from the stomach to the small intestine
48
What are the steps of Intestinal Motility ?
1. mixes chyme with intestinal juice & bile 2. churns chyme to increase contact with mucosa 3. move residue towards large intestine - segmentation occurs
49
What is the gastroileal reflex ?
- relaxing of valve & filling of cecum
50
Describe the Vermiform Appendix ?
- wormlike sac - vestigial structure
51
Describe the structure of the large intestine
- 5 feet long - horseshoe shaped - begins as cecum & appendix in lower right corner - sluggish movements - transit time 12/24 hours
52
Describe the histology of the large intestine
- mucosa is simple columnar epithelial - no circular folds or vili to increase SA - intestinal crypts produce mucus only
53
What are the 2 sections of the pancreas ?
- exocrine - secretes pancreatic juice - Acing cells - endocrine - secretes insulin & glucagon - B-Islet cells
54
What is the importance of the Pancreas ?
- inactivates pepsin - prevents acid-pepsin damage - increase solubility of bile acids & fatty acids
55
Define Zymogen
- an inactive precursor of an enzyme
56
How are the majority of pancreatic enzymes produced ?
as zymogens (inactive )
57
What is the importance of Trypsin activation in the duodenum ?
- initiates the activation of multiple zymogens with roles in digestion
58
What are the key functions of the liver?
- bile production - storage - detoxification - phagocytosis - synthesis
59
What is the function of bile ?
- have hydrophobic & hydrophilic regions -hydrophobic areas allow to interact with the fat droplet & hydrophilic area allow them to interact - allows them to break ft droplets into small bile salt coated droplets called micelles

Anatomy & Physiology (15 decks)

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