gastrointestinal (GI) tract Flashcards
what does the GI tract do
allows the body to extract necessary nutrients, vitamins, minerals and water the body requires from the external environment to maintain cellular energy and functioning
what are the 4 main layers of the GI tract from the outermost layer
- serosa
- muscularis externa
- submucosa
- mucosa
what is the serosa layer made of
has 2 parts
- visceral peritoneum- the serous lining covering most of the viscera within the abdominopelvic cavity. the walls of the cavity are lined with the parietal peritoneum. in between these layers is the peritoneal cavity, filled with serous fluid that allows free, frictionless movement of the viscera within the abdominopelvic cavity
- adventitia- a layers of fibrous connective tissue surrounding the GI tract and attaching it to adjacent structures at the pharynx, esophagus and rectum
what is the muscularis externa layer made of
a double layer of smooth muscle- inner circular layer and external longitudinal layer that produces varied movements of the GI tract. this layer also forms sphincters throughout various locations of the tract. the stomach contains a third, smooth layer that enhances movements for it to mix food with gastric secretions
what is the submucosa made of
a layer of sense irregular connective tissue that supports the mucosa. it is rich in blood vessels, nerves and lymphatic vessels and follicles.
what is the mucosa made of
it is the innermost lining found throughout the GI tract.
- it secretes mucus, digestive enzymes and hormones
- absorbs the products of digestion and protects against pathogens.
it is further subdivided into 3 sub-layers
- epithelium
- lamina propria- CT basement membrane for the epithelium containing blood vessels, nerves and lymph vessels
- muscularis mucosa- thin layer of smooth muscle underlying the basement membrane
what is ingestion
putting food/ drink into the digestive tract (eating)
what is mechanical digestion
physically breaking food into smaller pieces
what is propulsion
moving substances along the length of the tract
what is chemical digestion
breaking food into its smallest chemical components
what is absorption
movement of nutrients into the blood/ body fluids
what is defecation
elimination of indigestible material from digestive tract
what does chemical digestion require
the presence of enzymes which catabolize food molecules into their metabolic building blocks which are then able to be absorbed into the blood or lymph capillaries residing in the submucosa.
how does propulsion occur
via peristalsis- waves of contractions that occur behind the food which push it forward
what movements does mechanical digestion include
movements that alternately squeeze different segments of food to physically break it smaller including;
- chewing
- grinding/ churning- stomach movements in alternating directions that break up and mix food
- segmentation- contractions of segments of the small intestine that break up and mix food
how does defecation occur
via the opening and closing of sphincters in the anus. the internal sphincter opens under involuntary control so feces moves into the anal canal and the external sphincter opens under voluntary control
what are structures and functions of the oral cavity
lips, cheeks, palate, tongue
- these structures are lines with the mucosa of the digestive tract to resist abrasion which also secretes the antimicrobial peptides called defensins to keep the mouth healthy and clean
what digestive processes occur in the oral cavity
- ingestion- food is placed into the oral cavity
- mechanical digestion- chewing
- chemical digestion- salivary amylase breaks down carbohydrates
- propulsion- swallowing
what are the functions of the salivary glands (accessory gland of the oral cavity)
- cleanses the mouth
- dissolves food chemicals for taste
- moistens food and aids in bolus formation
- chemical digestion of carbohydrates via the digestive enzyme salivary amylase
- immune protection
what is the digestion process in the pharynx and esophagus
propulsion- the continuing of swallowing. the 2nd step and is involuntary via peristalsis
what is the esophagus
a passageway for food from the pharynx to the stomach. when it is not conducting ingested food, it is collapsed and lies flat against the posterior of the trachea
what is the gastroesophageal sphincter
it is at the end of the esophagus and controls the entrance of food into the stomach
what are the 3 regions of the pharynx
nasopharynx, oropharynx and larngyopharynx . they conduct food and drink from the mouth into the esophagus
what is the structure of the stomach
a muscular pouch in the upper left quadrant of the abdomen. it has a volume of 50ml but can expand to 4L due to the presence of rugae (folds of the mucosa and submucosa) which flatten out as the stomach fills.
what does the stomach wall do
it enhances the ability for the stomach to perform its digestive processes. the muscularis externa contains a third innermost muscular layer (oblique layer) which enhances the motility of the stomach, while the mucosa contains numerous deep gastric pits which extend and open into gastric glands
what are gastric pits and glands
gastric pits are lined with mucous cells which secrete a cloudy, alkaline mucus. the gastric glands are composed of 4 different secretory cells (mucous neck cells, parietal cells, chief cells and enteroendocrine cells) whose secretions collectively form gastric juice, which mixes with food in the stomach to form chyme. each chemical secretion has its own digestive functions