Digestive System Flashcards
What are the four basic processes performed by the digestive system?
1.) motility
2.) secretion
3.) digestion
4.) absorption
What are the two types of motility movements? Which type of muscle produces them?
1.) mixing movements
2.) propulsive movements
accomplished by smooth muscle lining digestive tract
What is the difference between exocrine and endocrine secretions?
exocrine = secretions into digestive tract (mix of H20, electrolytes, enzymes)
endocrine = secretions of GI hormones and GI peptides that enter blood and have targets inside and outside of digestive system
Where does absorption mostly occur?
small intestine
What is hydolysis?
adding H2O to bond site to break bond
What are the three main categories of energy-rich food components?
Carbs, proteins, and fats
What are the absorbable units of carbohydrates?
monosaccharides, disaccharides, polusaccharides
What are the absorbable units of proteins?
small peptides, amino acids
What are the absorbable units of fats?
monoglycerides, fatty acids
What do starch and glycogen consist of? What are soluble and insoluble fibers?
starch: amylase and amylopectin
glycogen: storage form of glucose in muscle
dietary polysaccharides that either can or cannot be digested
What are the four layers of the digestive tract?
1.) serosa
2.) mucosa externa
3.) mucosa
4.) submucosa
In what layer(s) are cells that secrete found? Which layer mainly contains smooth
muscle?
Where are the two plexuses?
submucosal plexus and myenteric plexus
What is function of serous fluid?
What are the four means by which digestive activity can be regulated?
1.) autonomous smooth muscle function
2.) intrinsic nerve plexuses
3.) extrinsic nerves
4.) GI hormones
What do the interstitial cells of Cajal do? How does electrical activity pass between
smooth muscle cells in the digestive tract? Does the slow-wave potential always lead to
contraction?
pacemaker cells throughout muscularis externa, generate spontaneous, rhythmic, slow-wave membrane potentials
propagates to adjacent smooth muscle cells via gap junctions
if depolarization peak crosses threshold (not a given), multiple action potentials fire = contraction of smooth muscle
What is enteric nervous system comprised of?
submucosal plexus and myenteric plexus
How does sympathetic activity generally change digestive processes?
inhibits digestive motility and secretion
How does parasympathetic activity generally change digestive processes?
promotes digestive motility and secretion
Where are GI hormones secreted and what do they act on?
secreted in digestive tract and alte activity of smooth muscle and exocrine cells
What are the functions of mastication?
1.) breaks down food into smaller peaches (increases surface area for salivary enzymes to act on)
2.) mixes food with saliva
3.) exposes food to taste buds
What are the functions of saliva? What secretes it?
1.) begins digestion of dietary starch through enzyme salivary amylase
2.) facilitates swallowing by lubricating with mucus
3.) inhibits bacteria via lysozyme (lyses bacteria) and lactoferrin (sequesters iron), antibodies, rinsing away leftover food material
4.) acts as solvent for tastants
5.) aids speech by allow surfaces of tongue, lips, and cheeks to glide over eachother
6.) neutralizes acids in food and bacteria via bicarbonate buffer
What are the two reflexes by which salivary secretion increases?
1.) simple salivary reflex (pressure receptors and chemoreceptors in brain)
2.) conditioned salivary reflex (thinking, seeing, smelling food
-> cerebral cortex)
What brain structure controls swallowing?
pharyngeal mechanoreceptors send signals to swallowing centers in medulla
What are the three functional sections of the stomach?
1.) fundus
2.) body
3.) antrum
What are the main functions of the stomach?
1.) stores food until it can be emptied into small intestine
2.) secrete HCl and enzymes that begin protein absorption
3.) pulverizes ingested food and mixes with gastric secretions to produce this liquid called chyme
What is receptive relaxation of the stomach?
occurs when stomach is being filled, vagus nerve activity relaxes smooth muscle
allows stomach folds to unfold, volume expands
Which area of the stomach has thicker smooth muscle? What function does it provide?
antrum, greater force for propulsion and mixing (retropulsion)