Exam 2: Digestion and Metabolism Flashcards
What are the 4 functions of the digestive system?
-take in food
-break down food into smaller molecules
-absorb molecules into bloodstream
-get rid of waste
What is the anatomy of the digestive system and how does food pass through?
-Alimentary canal (gastrointestinal tract)-> tube from mouth to anus
mouth -> pharynx -> esophagus -> stomach -> small intestine -> large intestine -> anal canal
What are the accessory organs of the digestive system?
-teeth and tongue
-gall bladder
-digestive glands (salivary glands, gall bladder, pancreas)
What are the 6 steps of the digestive process?
- ingestion -eating
2.Propulsion - movement (swallowing, peristalsis)
3.Mechanical breakdown - chewing, mixing, churning, segmentation - Digestion - catabolism
- Absorption - GI -> blood or lymph
- Deification - elimination
What is occurring in each organ of the digestive system during the digestive process?
Mouth- mechanical breakdown and digestion
esophagus - propulsion
stomach - mechanical breakdown and digestion
small intestine - digestion and absorption
large intestine - water absorption
How does the mouth perform mechanical breakdown?
the teeth and tongue break food into smaller pieces to increase the surface area available for digestion
How does the mouth perform chemical digestion?
Saliva!
Mostly water
Dissolves food -> taste
Moistens food -> eases swallowing (bolus)
contains enzymes (amylase, lipase)
defense against microorganisms (antibodies, lysozyme, defensins)
What stimulates salivation?
-tasting food: taste buds and chemoreceptors
-smelling food: chemoreceptors in nose
-thinking about food: cerebral cortex
Parasympathetic innervation: receptors send signals to medulla oblongata (facial and glossopharyngeal nerves) = salivation
What inhibits salivation?
-Strong activation of sympathetic division -> constricts blood vessels to salivary glands, causes dry mouth (xerostomia)
-Dehydration -> low blood volume reduces filtration pressure in capillaries
What are the 2 phases of swallowing/ deglutition?
- Buccal phase: voluntary, contractions of tongue force bolus into oropharynx
- Pharyngeal-esophageal phase: involuntary, controlled by swallowing center in medulla and lower pons. Muscles of the pharynx and esophagus force food into esophagus
Describe the gastrointestinal wall:
Includes smooth muscle laters that are responsible for motility through the AC. Circular layer goes around AC and longitudinal muscle runs down AC.
Describe smooth muscle and what are the two types:
spindle shaped cells, 1 central nucleus, no striations, 2 types; multiunit and unitary
What is multiunit smooth muscle?
discrete, separate smooth muscle fibers that operate independently, each fiber can contract independently, controlled by nerve signals
What is unitary smooth muscle?
100s-1000s of smooth muscle fibers that contract as a single unit, arranged in sheets or bundles
What are the cellular components smooth muscle cells:
-No T-tubules
-less developed SR than skeletal muscle
-Caveolae; pouch like inholdings that hold calcium
How is smooth muscle similar to skeletal muscle?
-actin and myosin interacting by sliding filaments
-sliding process energized by ATP
How is smooth muscle different than skeletal muscle?
-thin and thick filaments are not organized into sarcomeres
thin filaments (actin) has tropomyosin but no troponin
thick filaments (myosin)- myosin heads present along entire length
what are dense bodies?
similar to Z-discs, anchor actin fibers, found attached to sarcolemma and scattered through sarcoplasm
what are intermediate filaments?
non-contractile fibers that resist tension (pulling)
What are the 4 steps of smooth muscle contraction?
- Ca2+ bonds to calmodulin -> activates it
- Activated calmodulin activates myosin kinase
3.Activated myosin kinase catalyzes transfer of phosphate from ATP to myosin
4.Phosphorylated myosin forms cross-bridge with actin
What are unique aspects of smooth muscle contraction?
-takes 30x longer than skeletal but uses less than 1% of energy
-can contract for days without fatiguing
-exhibits relatively constant tension “smooth muscle tone”
-relaxes once intracellular Ca2+ levels deplete, slower reuptake of Ca2+ into SR than skeletal
How is skeletal vs smooth muscle regulated?
skeletal muscle is stimulated only by nervous system
smooth muscle is stimulated by nervous system, hormones, and local factors
What are smooth muscle fibers?
arranged in bundles of parallel fibers that are connected through gap juctions. The muscle layers function as a syncytium -> when AP occurs, it travels in all directions in the muscle, similar to cardiac
What are the two types of electrical activity in the AC?
-slow waves
-spikes
hyperpolarization and depolarization can occur