Gastrointestinal Flashcards
4 main functions of the GI tract.
Note the GI tract has MANY MANY functions
digestion
absorption
excretion
endocrine
Function of the mouth (3).
mastication breaks down the food
salivary amylase (ptyalin) assists in chemical breakdown of carbs and starches into MALTOSE
lingual lipase secreted by lingual glands
What are the 3 types of cells located in the gastric glands of the stomach?
mucosal/neck cells
chief cells
parietal cells
What is the function of mucosal/neck cells?
secrete mucus and gastrin
What do G cells produce?
gastrin which stimulates gastric secretions
What is the function of chief cells?
produce pepsinogen
What happens to pepsinogen in the presence of hydrochloric acid?
pepsinogen is activated to form pepsin
What is pepsin necessary for?
protein digestion
What is the function of parietal cells?
secrete hydrochloric acid and intrinsic factor
What is needed for the activation of pepsinogen?
hydrochloric acid
What is the function of hydrochloric acid?
destroys many bacteria
What is intrinsic factor necessary for?
absorption of Vitamin B12 in the terminal ileum
What do mast cells release?
histamine
What is the mixture of food and gastric juices called?
chyme
How is chyme propelled through the small intestine?
peristaltic waves
What does the presence of chyme in the small intestine simulate?
the release of secretin from the S-cells found in the duodenum
Secretin simulates pancreatic acinar cells to release which two substances?
bicarbonate and water
What is bicarbonate secreted by in the duodenum and whats it’s function?
Brunner’s glands and it neutralizes the gastric acid and makes the pH alkaline
also protects the duodenal wall from digestion by the highly acidic gastric juice being emptied into the duodenum
What does secretin decrease?
gastric motility
What does the presence of fat in the duodenum stimulate?
the release of cholecystokinin (CCK)
What is CCK released by?
I-cells in the duodenum
What does CCK cause? (4)
the gallbladder to contract
sphincter of Oddi to relax
bile to be excreted into the duodenum
the pancreas to secrete enzymes which aid in the digestion of fat, starches, and protein
What pancreatic enzyme completes the breakdown of starch into maltose?
pancreatic amylase
What enzymes are located in the brush borders of enterocytes in the small intestine?
maltase
lactase
sucrase
What does maltase breakdown?
maltose into two molecules of glucose
What does lactase breakdown?
lactose into glucose and galactose
What does sucrase breakdown?
sucrose into glucose and fructose
What carrier actively transports glucose into the intestinal cells?
sodium-glucose carrier
Where is some digested fat absorbed into (in the small intestine)?
central lacteals which drain into the thoracic duct
What enzymes digest polypeptides that are released by the action of the proteolytic pancreatic enzymes?
What do they produce?
intestinal peptidases
produce amino acids which are actively transported from the lumen into the intestinal cells by a sodium-amino acid carrier
The final breakdown products of fat, starch, and protein digestion are produced in the small intestine. What are fat, starches and proteins broken down into?
fat to fatty acids and glycerol
starch, sucrose, and lactose to glucose, fructose, and galactose
proteins to amino acids