Digestive System Flashcards by Kate Niznik

What are the 3 chief functions of the digestive system

Digestion: breakdown of food
Absorption: transfer of nutrients from digestive tract into the blood or lymph
Elimination: eliminate undigested waste material

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What is the digestive tract

A continuous passageway beginning at the mouth and terminating at the anus

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What is the function of the accessory organs in the digestive tract

Organs necessary for the digestive process but are not a direct part of the digestive tract

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What are the accessory organs of the digestive tract

Salivary glands
Liver
Gallbladder
Pancreas

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Thin two layered serous, epithelial membrane that lines the abdominopelvic cavity and covers most of the organs within the cavity

Peritoneum

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Parietal layer of the peritoneum lines what

Lines the abdominopelvic cavity; outer layer

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The visceral layer of the peritoneum covers the

Organs

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What is parietal space

Cavity between the 2 membrane layers and contains serous fluid

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What is the functions of the peritoneum

Supports and binds the organs
Carrie’s blood vessels, lymphatic vessels and nerves

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There are 4 subdivisions of the peritoneum which are

Mesentery
Mesocolon
Greater omentum
Lesser omentum

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The mesentery is fan shaped and extends from the posterior abdominal wall to the small intestines. What does it house?

Houses blood vessels and nerves between the layers that supply the intestine

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The mesocolon extends from?

The posterior abdominal wall to the colon

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Greater omentum is large, contains much fat and hangs like an apron over the front of the intestine. It extends from?

The lower portion of stomach and colon (transverse) like a loop

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The lesser omentum is a small membrane that extends between the

Stomach and the liver

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What are the four layers of the digestive tract wall (from inside to outside)

Mucosa
Submucosa
Smooth muscle
Serous membrane

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What is the function of the mucosa

Secretion, protection and absorption

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What is the function of the submucosa

-Regulation of digestive function
-intestinal cell nourishment
-removal of absorbed nutrients

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Function of smooth muscle

Motility; moves food through the GI tract

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Serous membrane function

Protection
Support
Separation between organs

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What is a lumen

Hollow space within the “tube” of the digestive tract

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There are 2 types of muscular contractions important in the digestive process which are

Peristalsis and segmentation

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What propels the tube contents rapidly

Peristalsis

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Mixes the contents (food with digestive juices) and propels them slowly

Segmentation

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The mouth aka oral cavity processes food by what 4 things

Ingestion
Mastication
Mixing with saliva
Deglutition

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What is deglutition

Movement of food towards throat to be swallowed

Salivary amylase does what

Initiates starch digestion

What is the function of the tongue

Aids in chewing, swallowing and speech Surface covered in tastebuds

The pharynx is aka the

Throat

3 divisions of the pharynx are

Oropharynx Nasopharynx Laryngopharynx

A bolus of food is moved into the pharynx where ______ forces it into the esophagus

Reflex swallowing

What raises to prevent food and liquid from entering the nasal cavity

Solar palate and uvula

The opening to the larynx/trachea is guarded by the

Epiglottis

Swallowed food enters into the

Esophagus

The esophagus is a muscular tube about 10 inches long, no digestion occurs here instead food is

Lubricated with mucus

The esophagus passes through ______ of the diaphragm to join stomach

Esophageal hiatus

Inner oblique muscle layer of the stomach aids in

Grinding food and mixing it with digestive juices

What are the structures of the stomach

Greater curvature Lesser curvature Fundus Body Pylorus

The sphincters of the stomach

Lower esophageal sphincter (LES) Pyloric

What is a sphincter

A muscular ring that regulates the size of an opening (Two sphincters at each end of the stomach)

The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is located where? What does it control

Located between the esophagus and the stomach -controls the passage of food from the esophagus into the stomach

LES is aka the

Cardiac sphincter

The pyloric sphincter is located where? What does it regulate

Located between the distal end of the stomach and the small intestine -regulates the passage of food from stomach into the duodenum

What is the stomachs function

To store food, regulate movement of food into the small intestine (digestive organ) and churn

When the stomach is empty the lining forms many folds called

Rugae (As stomach expands these folds disappear)

The stomach secretes substances to form gastric juice. What are the 2 digestive juices

Hydrochloric acid Pepsin

Hydrochloric acid does what

Prepares proteins for digestion and activates pepsin; also destroys foreign organisms

Pepsin (enzyme) digests

Proteins

Stomach delivers what to the small intestine

Chyme

What is the longest part of the digestive tract

The small intestine (10ft in length)

What are the 3 subdivisions of the small intestine

Duodenum (1st 10 inches) Jejunum Ileum

Almost all digestion and absorption of food occurs in the

Small intestine

Functions of the small intestine

Secretion Motility Digestion Absorption

Mucus is secreted in the small intestine in order to

Protect the small intestine from the highly acidic content coming from stomach

Motility, segmentation occurs to ensure food is thoroughly mixed with digestive tissues and it is regulated to ensure

Proximal segments contract before the distal segments

Enzymes are secreted that continue digestion of

Proteins and carbohydrates

Subdivisions of the large intestine include (10)

Cecum Ileocecal valve Appendix Ascending colon Transverse colon Descending colon Sigmoid colon Rectum Anal canal Anus

The cecum is the

First part of the large intestine; it is a small pouch

The ileocecal valve is a sphincter between the ileum of the small intestine and the cecum; it prevents

Food from travelling backward into the small intestine

The vermiform appendix (appendix) is attached to the cecum; it is a small blind tube containing

Lymphoid tissue

The ascending colon is the second portion of the large intestine; it extends upward along the

Right side of the abdomen towards the liver

The transverse colon bends and extends across the abdomen. It bends sharply and extends downwards forming the

Descending colon

Sigmoid colon is the lower part of the colon that bends posteriorly in an “s” shape and continues downwards; empties into the

Rectum

Undigested food enter the ____ and leaves to the outside of the body through the anus

Anal canal

Functions of the large intestine (6)

Secretes mucus Water is reabsorbed Stores and eliminates undigested food Vitamin K and some B complex vitamins are generated Peristalsis Defecation

The accessory organs release secretions through ducts into digestive tract. What are the accessory organs

Salivary glands Liver; releases bile, emulsifies fat Gallbladder Pancreas

What are the 3 pairs of salivary glands

Parotid Submandibular Sublingual

Functions of the salivary glands

Secrete saliva Moistens food Facilitates mastication and deglutition Helps keep teeth and mouth clean

What is the largest accessory organ

Liver

The liver is located in the upper right portion of the abdominal cavity under the diaphragm. It is supplied with blood through what 2 things

Portal vein: rich in digestive end products Hepatic artery: high in oxygen

The main digestive function of the liver is to

Emulsify fat -the liver synthesizes bile, which is necessary for fat digestion

Bike exits the liver by the common hepatic duct which merges with the _____ to form the _____

Cystic duct (from gallbladder); to form the common bile duct > duodenum

What are some of the function of the liver

Manufactures bile Controls blood glucose levels Modifies fat Stores some vitamins, iron Forms blood plasma proteins Destroys old RBC’s Synthesizes urea Detoxifies harmful substances

The gallbladder is a muscular sac located in the inferior surface of the liver. It stores

Bile

When chyme enters the duodenum the ______ contracts, the hepatopancreatic sphincter opens and what flows into the duodenum

The gallbladder contracts; bile flows into the duodenum

The pancreas is a long endocrine gland that extends from the duodenum to the spleen. It produces?

Insulin and glucagon hormones

The pancreas releases what 3 things

Enzymes that digest food (amylase, trypsin, lipases) Water to dilute food Bicarbonate ions (to neutralize the acidic chyme arriving from the stomach)

Enzymes are protein molecules that act as

Catalysts, speeding up chemical reactions

What is the role of water in the digestive system (3)

Used in the chemical process of digestion (hydrolysis) Produces digestive juices Dilutes food

How many litres of water is secreted into the digestive tract daily

Absorption is the process of moving nutrients from the GI tract into the

Blood or lymph nodes

Most absorption takes place in the

Small intestine

Absorption; Fats take an indirect route to the blood, since they are absorbed into

Lacteals; and travel through the lymphatic system to the blood

What vitamins are produced by bacteria in the colon and they are absorbed from the large intestine along with some water

Vitamin K and some B vitamins

Nerves in digestive system are located in

Submucosa and between muscle layers of organ walls (enteric nervous system- ENS)

What typically stimulates digestion

Parasympathetic

What typically inhibits digestion

Sympathetic system

Nervous and hormonal mechanism control of digestion main goal is to optimize

The processes of digestion and absorption

What stimulates the secretion of saliva and the release of gastric juices

Sensory stimuli

Bolus in stomach stimulates release of

Gastrin into blood ** promotes stomach secretions and motility

When chyme enters the duodenum hormones known as ____ are released in duodenum that stimulates what and inhibits what

Gastric-inhibitory peptide (GIP) Stimulate intestinal activity inhibits stomach activity

Gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP) stimulates

Insulin release from pancreas

A number of hormones function to regulate appetite, what initiates hunger

Ghrelin

What is anorexia

Chronic loss of appetite -possible emotional or social favotrs

What is anorexia nervosa

Psychological disorder Starving one self

What is bulimia

Binge purge syndrome

Eating disorders stress the body; what can result

Lack of estrogen produced in women Loss of bone (osteoporosis) Degeneration of myocardium

4 sources of digestive problems

Mechanical Nervous Chemical Hormonal

What is peritonitis

Inflammation of the peritoneum following infection of an organ covered by peritoneum (Ex of causative factors ruptured appendix, perforated ulcer, penetrating wound)

Mumps is a contagious viral infection of what salivary gland

Parotid

What is cirrhosis

Chronic disease where active liver cells are replaced by scar tissue (alcoholic type is most common)

Hepatitis is what inflammation

Liver inflammation

Cholelithiasis is aka

Gallstones

What is pancreatitis

Destruction of pancreas by its own secretion