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Human Physiology > Digestive System > Flashcards

Digestive System Flashcards

1
Q

Functions of the Digestive System

A
  • Supply of nutrients dependent on food ingested - not nutritional requirements
  • GI tract optimises conditions for digestion/absorption
  • Ingested food is broken down into substrates available for cells
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2
Q

Functions of the Digestive System: Ingestion

A

Material enters digestive tract via mouth

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3
Q

Functions of the Digestive System: Mechanical Processing

A
  • Easier to proper along tract

- Increases surface area to allow easier breakdown

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4
Q

Functions of the Digestive System: Digestion

A
  • Chemical breakdown of food for absorption

- Large molecules (e.g. starch) broken down small molecules (e.g. absorbable sugars)

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5
Q

Functions of the Digestive System: Secretions

A

Release of water, acids, enzymes, buffers, salts

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6
Q

Functions of the Digestive System: Absorption

A

Movement of substrates, electrolytes, vitamins and water across epithelium into interstitial fluid

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7
Q

Functions of the Digestive System: Excretion

A

Removal of waste products from body

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8
Q

End result of Function of DS

A

Body is supplied with nutrients, electrolytes, water and waste is removed

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9
Q

Digestive Organs: Oral Cavity

A

Ingestion, mechanical processing with accessory organs (teeth and tongue), moistening, mixing with salivary secretions

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10
Q

Digestive Organs: Pharynx

A

Muscular propulsion of materials into the oesophagus

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11
Q

Digestive Organs: Oesophagus

A

Transport of materials to the stomach

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12
Q

Digestive Organs: Stomach

A

Chemical breakdown of materials by acid and enzymes and mechanical processing through muscular contraction

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13
Q

Digestive Organs: Small Intestines

A

Enzymatic digestion and absorption of water, organic substances/substrates, vitamins and ions

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14
Q

Digestive Organs: Large Intestines

A

Dehydration and compaction of indigestible materials in preparation for elimination

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15
Q

Accessory Organs: Teeth

A

Mechanical processing by chewing (mastication)

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16
Q

Accessory Organs: Tongue

A

Assists mechanical processing with teeth, sensory analysis

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17
Q

Accessory Organs: Salivary glands

A

Secretion of lubricating fluid containing enzymes that breakdown carbohydrates

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18
Q

Accessory Organs: Liver

A

Secretion of bile (important for lipid digestion), storage of nutrients, many other vital functions

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19
Q

Accessory Organs: Gallbladder

A

Storage and concentration of bile

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20
Q

Accessory Organs: Pancreas

A

Exocrine cells secrete buffers and digestive enzymes; endocrine cells secrete hormones

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21
Q

Accessory Organs: Serous Membrane - two sheets

A

Areolar tissue in between sheets
> blood supply, nerves, lymphatics

Functions:

  • Stabilisation and attachment of digestive organs to the peritoneal cavity
  • Stops digestive organs from entangling
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22
Q

Histological Organisation

A

4 layers

  • Mucosa (secretion/absorption)
  • Submucosa
  • Muscularis Externa
  • Serosa
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23
Q

Histological Organisation: Mucosa

A
  • Inner lining
Mucous membrane
- Digestive Epithelium
> Simple columnar or stratified squamous
> Enteroendocrine cells secrete hormones
> Moistened by glandular secretions
>Longitudinal folds, circular folds and villi to increase surface area

Lamina propria
- Areolar tissue containing: Blood and Lymphatic vessels, Sensory nerve endings, Lymphoid tissue and Smooth muscle cells (muscularis mucosae)

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24
Q

Digestive epithelium: Stratified squamous

A
  • Oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus

- Mechanical stresses

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25
Q

Digestive epithelium: Simple columnar

A
  • Stomach, small intestine, large intestine
  • Absorption
  • Presence of goblet (mucous) cells
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26
Q

Digestive epithelium provides protection against

A
  • Digestive acids and enzymes
  • Mechanical stresses, such as abrasion
  • Bacteria Ingested with food and reside in digestive tract
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27
Q

Specialised Epithelial Cells: Stem Cells

A

Constant cell renewal - digestive epithelial are renewed every 3 days on average

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28
Q

Specialised Epithelial Cells: Enteroendocrine Cells

A

secrete hormones

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29
Q

Specialised Epithelial Cells: Goblet Cells

A

Secrete mucus

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30
Q

Specialised Epithelial Cells: Paneth’s Cells

A

Secrete antimicrobial peptides

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31
Q

Histological Organisation: Submucosa

A
  • Dense, irregular connective tissue
  • Surrounds muscularis mucosae
  • Large blood vessels and lymphatic vessels
  • May contain exocrine glands: secrete buffers and enzymes into digestive tract

Submucosal Plexus (Meissner’s Plexus)

  • Innervates the mucosa and submucosa
  • Sensory neurons, ganglionic neurons & postganglionic neurons
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32
Q

Histological Organisation: Muscularis Externa

A

Smooth muscle cells arranged in:

  • inner circular layer
  • outer longitudinal layer

Involved in:

  • Mechanical processing
  • Movement of materials along digestive tract
  • Movements coordinated by enteric nervous system (ENS) which are primarily innervated by parasympathetic division of the ANS
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33
Q

Serosa

A
  • Serous membrane covering muscularis externa
  • Attachment to mesentery

Except in oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, and rectum:
> Adventitia
- firmly attaches the digestive tract to adjacent structures
- dense sheath of collagen fibers

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34
Q

Digestive Movement

A

Involves contraction and relaxation of smooth muscle

Coordinated contractions vital for movement of materials along the digestive tract

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35
Q

Pacesetter cells

A
  • Spontaneous depolarisation
  • Tigger waves of contraction that spread throughout the entire muscular sheet
  • Located in the muscularis mucosae and muscularis externa
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36
Q

Peristalsis

A 
Moves food/material along tract
- waves of muscular contraction
- circular muscles - push forward
- longitudinal muscles - shorten
- propels bolus forward
> moves along SI in approx. 90-120 mins
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37
Q

Segmentation

A 
Mixing/churning
- Cycles of contraction
> churn and fragment bolus
> mix with intestinal secretions (e.g. duodenum)
- not directional
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38
Q

Regulation of Digestive Tract

A

Need to control rate of secretion/absorption so process is efficacious. Required to maintain homeostasis

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39
Q

Regulation of Digestive Tract: Receptors

A
  • Detect a change in something
  • Chemoreceptors, osmoreceptors, stretch receptors
  • External e.g. sight, smell
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40
Q

Regulation of Digestive Tract: Processing/control centres

A
  • Local factors
  • Nerves:
    enteric nervous system - part of PNS, housed within digestive tract, local regulation
    ANS
  • Hormones - endocrine e.g. gastrin, GIP, CCK, secretin, VIP
  • Effectors - smooth muscle, exocrine glands
41
Q

Mouth/oral cavity

A
  • sensory analysis before swallowing: tongue
  • mechanical processing: teeth, tongue and palatal surfaces
  • lubrication: mixing food with mucus and saliva
  • carbohydrates and lipids: salivary amylase breaks down starch and lingual lipase breaks down lipids
  • salivary glands: produce saliva
    > parotid (25%) - salivary amylase
    > submandibular (70%) - buffers
    > sublingual (5%) - buffers, glycoproteins (mucins) and salivary amylase
42
Q

Saliva functions

A
  • Lubrication of mouth and pharynx (mucins)
  • Cleanse mouth and teeth
  • Moistening food
  • Dissolve food and chemicals (stimulate taste buds)
  • Begins digestion
43
Q

Oesophagus

A
  • Hollow muscular tube about 25cm in length
  • Conveys food to stomach by peristalsis
  • Pierces diaphragm through oesophageal hiatus
  • Upper and lower ‘sphincters’
    > prevents air from entering the oesophagus
    > prevents backflow (reflux) from stomach
44
Q

Oesophagus: Deglutition

A

Buccal Stage:

  • Voluntary
  • Bolus: oropharynx

Pharyngeal Stage:

  • Involuntary
  • Bolus: oesophagus

Oesophageal Stage:

  • Involuntary
  • Bolus: Stomach
45
Q

Stomach

A
  • 3 layers of smooth muscle and rugae
  • Storage and mixing chamber
    > starch digestion continues
    > protein and triglyceride digestion begins
46
Q

Stomach: Mechanical Digestion

A
  • Mixing waves every 15-25sec
  • Forms chyme (partially digested semi-fluid material)
  • Forces chyme into duodenum
47
Q

Stomach: Chemical Digestion

A
  • HCl: denatures proteins
  • Pepsinogen: converted to pepsin (HCl and already converted pepsin), hydrolyses peptide bonds
  • Gastric lipase: hydrolyses triglycerides
48
Q

Stomach Mucosa

A

Secretory cells form gastric glands which line gastric pits

  • Mucous cells: mucus
  • Parietal cells: HCl, intrinsic factor: required for absorption of vitamin B12
  • Chief cells: pepsinogen, gastric lipase
  • G Cells: gastrin (hormone that stimulates parietal and chief cells and increases secretions and motility)
49
Q

Regulation of Gastric Activity

A
  • Involves CNS, entericNS, hormones
  • 3 overlapping phases: names according to where the food is:
    > Cephalic phase
    > Gastric phase
    > Intestinal Phase
50
Q

Cephalic Phase: CNS/brain

A
  • Begins when on sight, smell, taste or thought of food
  • Prepares stomach for arrival of food
    > impulses to submucosal plexus (vagus nerve)
    > increases gastric secretion: increases secretion from gastric glands and motility
51
Q

Gastric Phase: Builds on cephalic phase

A
  • Arrival of food into stomach: presence of undigested food/materials in stomach
  • Triggers stretch receptors and chemoreceptors (pH): enhanced secretion (gastrin, pepsinogen, HCl), stimulates gastric motility
52
Q

Intestinal Phase: Starts when chyme arrives in duodenum

A
  • Increases intestinal secretion: secretin (reduces gastric secretion), CCK (inhibits gastric emptying), GIP (gastric inhibitory polypeptide)
  • Controls rate of chyme exiting from stomach (gastric emptying)
53
Q

Hormone control of food intake

A
  • Insulin and CCK are released during food absorption: act as satiety signals to depress hunger
  • Ghrelin is an appetite stimulant: acts as a ‘dinner bell’
  • Leptin: secreted by adipose tissue when fat stores increase, acts by inhibiting appetite stimulant neuropeptideY (NPY)
54
Q

Vomiting

A

Forceful expulsion of gastric contents out through the mouth

  • Stomach doesn’t actively participate
  • Major force for expulsion from diaphragm and abdominal muscles
55
Q

Vomiting Reflex

A

1) Deep inspiration and closure of glottis
2) Contraction of diaphragm and abdominal muscles, compressing stomach
3) Gastric contents forced out through relaxed gastroesophageal sphincter
4) Distension of the oesophagus induces peristalsis to force contents back to stomach
5) cycle repeats - retching
6) pressure in oesophagus increases, jaw thrust out, pharyngeal sphincter opens and gastric contents forced out

56
Q

Vomiting symptoms

A
  • Preceded by profuse salivation, sweating, rapid HR and nausea
  • These sensations characteristic of rapid discharge by ANS
  • Co-ordinated by vomiting centre in medulla
  • Excessive vomiting can lead to large losses of secreted fluids and acids that are normally reabsorbed
    > decreases plasma volume
    > metabolic alkalosis
57
Q

Small Intestine

A
  • Digestion and absorption of nutrients
  • 90% of nutrient absorption
  • Approx. 6m - large surface area
    > further increased by circular folds, villi, microvilli
    Total absorptive capacity is more than 200m2
58
Q

Circular Folds

A
  • Plicae Circulares

- Many present in SI and mix chyme

59
Q

Small Intestine: Duodenum

A
  • 25cm
  • Receives chyme from stomach and mixes with digestive enzymes from pancreas
  • Neutralises acids to avoid damage to absorptive surfaces and avoid inactivating digestive enzymes
60
Q

Small Intestine: Jejunum

A
  • 2.5m

- Chemical digestion and nutrient absorption

61
Q

Small Intestine: Ileum

A
  • 3.5m
  • Nutrient absorption
    > Vitamin B12, bile salts, leftover undigested products
    > Controls flow of from ileum to large intestine
62
Q

Intestinal Villi

A

Covered by simple columnar epithelium
> microvilli: brush border

Lamina propria

  • nerve endings
  • network of capillaries: carry absorbed nutrients to liver then around body

Lacteals

  • transport material that cannot enter capillaries
  • fatty acids (chylomicrons)
63
Q

Small intestinal movement

A
  • Involves contraction and relaxation of smooth muscle from duodenum to ileum
  • Important in small intestine to allow for proper digestion and absorption
  • Peristalsis and segmentation
    > weaker peristaltic contractions slowly propels bolus forward
    > moves along SI in 90-120mins
    > cycles of contraction mix with intestinal secretions and make absorption more efficient by allowing contact with villi
64
Q

Pancreas

A

3 Regions
- Head, body and tail

Connected to duodenum via pancreatic duct

65
Q

Pancreas Function

A
  • Pancreas has distinct lobules that contain acini and islets
66
Q

Pancreas Function: Exocrine

A
  • Acinar glands secrete pancreatic juice

- Digestive enzymes and buffers

67
Q

Pancreas Function: Endocrine

A
  • Pancreatic islet cells

- Secrete insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream

68
Q

Pancreatic Secretions

A

Water, salts, bicarbonate and phosphate buffers

Enzymes to digest:
Carbohydrates: pancreatic alpha-amylase
Proteins: proteolytic enzymes (trypsin)/proteases
Triglycerides: pancreatic lipase
RNA and DNA: nucleases
69
Q

Liver

A
  • Heaviest glandular organ in body (1.5kg)
  • Metabolic and synthetic function
  • Right hypochondriac and epigastric regions
  • 4 lobes: large right, smaller left, caudate, quadrate lobe
  • Bile secreted into bile canaliculi and moves to gallbladder
70
Q

Liver: in lobule

A
  • Hepatocytes arranged around sinusoids and central vein: adjust levels of circulating nutrients
  • Blood passes through sinusoids and drains into central vein
  • Kupffer cells: phagocytic - engulf pathogens, cell debris and damaged RBCs
71
Q

Liver: Hepatic Artery

A

Delivers oxygenated blood

72
Q

Liver: Hepatic Portal Circulation

A

Delivers nutrient rich blood from intestines

73
Q

Liver Function: Metabolic Regulation

A
  • carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism
  • waste removal
  • store vitamins and minerals
  • process drugs (inactivation)
74
Q

Liver Function: Haematological Regulation

A
  • Removal of bacteria and old RBC, WBC
  • Make plasma proteins
  • Removal of hormones and antibodies
  • Removal or storage of toxins
  • Activation of vitamin D
75
Q

Liver Function: Bile production

A
  • Synthesis and secretion of bile into duodenum
  • Excrete bilirubin

Liver failure > build up of hormones and toxins

76
Q

Bile function

A
  • Digestion of lipids: not water soluble
  • Mechanical processing in stomach creates large drops containing lipids
  • Pancreatic lipase is not lipid soluble: interacts only at surface of lipid droplet
  • Bile salts break droplets apart (emulsification): increases surface area exposed to enzymatic attack, creates tiny emulsion droplets coated with bile salts and this promotes absorption of the lipids by epithelium
77
Q

Gallbladder

A
  • Small pear-shaped, muscular sac
  • Stores bile
  • Concentrates bile: water absorbed, bile salts and solutes concentrated
  • Releases bile into duodenum: under stimulation of CCK
78
Q

Gallstones

A
  • Solidified cholesterol and bile salts
  • 80-90% are cholesterol gallstones: liver secretes bile abnormally saturated with cholesterol > excess crystallises > forms stones stored in gallbladder or cystic duct

Can also form due to low levels of bile acids and bile lecithin

79
Q

Catabolism

A

Breakdown of structure of food: disassembles molecules

80
Q

Hydrolysis

A

Break molecular bonds in large organic molecules

81
Q

Digestive enzymes: Amylases

A

Break bonds between simple sugars (carbohydrates)

82
Q

Digestive enzymes: Proteases/peptidases

A

Break bonds between amino acids (proteins

83
Q

Digestive enzymes: Lipases

A

Separate fatty acids from glycerides (lipids)

84
Q

Digestive enzymes: Nucleases

A

Break nucleotides into sugars, phosphates and nitrogenous bases

85
Q

Carbohydrate digestion

A

Carbohydrases from salivary glands and pancreases brush border enzymes. Monosaccharides are absorbed into capillaries

86
Q

Protein Digestion

A
  • Complex and long
  • Mastication allows access for enzymes
  • Stomach - pepsin
  • Pancreatic and brush border enzymes
  • Amino acids and peptides > absorbed into capillaries
87
Q

Carbohydrate and protein absorption

A

Monosaccharides
> 2° active transport with sodium
> Facilitated diffusion (fructose)

Amino acids, dipeptides, tripeptides
> amino acids 1° or 2° active transport
> di and tripeptides 2° active transport

All move into capillaries in villus

88
Q

Lipid Digestion

A
  • Lingual lipase
  • Bile salts
    > emulsification
    > access for enzymes
  • pancreatic lipase
  • fatty acids and monoglycerides
    > absorbed into lacteals
89
Q

Lipid Absorption

A

Simple diffusion
> SCFA move into capillaries in villus
> others move into lacteals

Bile combines with LCFA and monoglycerides to form micelles

  • contact epithelial cell membrane
  • lipids diffuse through membrane
  • resynthesised into triglycerides in epithelial cells
  • coated with proteins > chylomicrons
  • chylomicrons are too large to move into capillaries and move into lacteals
90
Q

Large intestine

A
  • 1.5m long
  • ileocaecal sphincter to anus
  • tonic contraction of 3 longitudinal muscles (teniae coli) to form pouches (haustra)
    > aids in mechanical digestion: mixing chambers, segmentation
    -serosa: teardrop shaped sacs of fat (omental appendices)
91
Q

Large intestine: Caecum

A
  • Ileocecal valve

- Appendix

92
Q

Large intestine: colon

A
  • Ascending
  • transverse
  • descending
  • sigmoid
93
Q

Large intestine: rectum

A
  • anal canal
    > internal sphincter: smooth muscle
    > external sphincter: skeletal muscle
94
Q

Mucosa/ glands in LI

A

No villi or circular folds in mucosa
> haustra instead: expansible paches

Epithelium
> absorptive cells: water absorption
> goblet cells: mucus secretion
Organised into crypts (intestinal glands)

95
Q

Large intestine functions

A
  • Reabsorption of water
  • compaction of intestinal contents into faeces
  • Absorption of important vitamins produced by bacteria
  • breakdown of some remaining products for removal
  • storage of faecal material prior to defecation
96
Q

Digestion in the Large Intestine: Mechanical Digestion

A
  • movement of LI begins when substances pass ileocecal sphincter
  • peristalsis slower than SI
  • Haustral churning (segmentation): initiated by distension of haustra as chyme enters LI

Mass movement

  • strong peristaltic wave beginning in transverse colon that drives contents into rectum
  • occurs during or immediately after meal when food enters stomach
  • causes defecation reflex
97
Q

Digestion in the Large Intestine: Chemical Digestion

A
  • Final stage of digestion occurs through activity of bacteria
  • Produces gases and other by-products
    > vitamin K, biotin, pantothenic acid, organic waste products, short chain fatty acids, toxins
  • Bacteria produce necessary enzymes that humans don’t have genetic capacity to produce: able to digest complex polysaccharides (indigestible carbohydrates)
98
Q

Diarrhoea

A
  • Passage of highly fluid faecal matter
  • Increased frequency and decreased consistency of stools
  • Results in rapid dehydration and metabolic acidosis: loss of nutrient material
  • Less time in colon = less water reabsorbed = dehydration
99
Q

Diarrhoea - Causes

A
  • Exposure to damaging agents, e.g. radiation
  • Excessive intestinal motility: substances move through faster and less water absorption occurs
  • Excessive osmotically active particles: will draw water out of cells into intestinal contents
  • Toxins e.g. vibrio cholera: excessive secretor by SI can lose 10L fluid/day

Human Physiology (8 decks)

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