Gastrointestinal Physiology Flashcards
Functions of the Gastrointestinal Tract (GIT)
Transfer digested organic nutrients, minerals and water, from the external environment into the internal environment:
involves digestion and absorption
What is digestion?
Process of forming absorbable molecules from food through GIT motility, pH changes, and biological detergents/enzymes
ie breakdown food into absorbable molecules
What is absorption?
Movement of digestive food from the intestine into the blood or the lymphatic system
How does the GIT function in excretion?
(ie what is excreted from GIT)
Non-absorbable components of food, bacteria, intestinal cells, and hydrophobic molecules (drugs), cholesterol and steroids are excreted
How does the GIT function in host defense?
- Lumen of the GIT is continuous with exterior of body = outside considered to be outside the body
- The GIT forms a barrier with the outside environment and contains a highly developed immune system
- The GIT can inactivate harmful bacteria or other microorganisms
What are the 6 components of the GIT and what are the 3 accessory organs of the GIT?
6 components:
- Mouth
- Pharynx
- Esophagus
- Stomach
- Small intestine (duodenum, jejunum, ileum)
- Large intestine
3 Accessory Organs
- Pancreas
- Gall Bladder
- Liver
The top third of the esophagus is composed of _________ muscle and the rest is ________ muscle
The top third of the esophagus is composed of Skeletal muscle and the rest is smooth muscle
What are the three subsections of the mucosa?
- Epithelium - very thin layer of cells
- Lamina Propria
- Muscularis mucosa - very thin smooth mm layer
What are the four layers of the GIT?
- Mucosa (has three sublayers:
- Epithelium
- Lamina propria
- Muscularis mucosa
- Submucosa
- Muscularis externa
- Serosal layer
The connective tissue layer of the GIT is ________ and the outer muscular layer is the _______
The connective tissue layer of the GIT is serosal layer and the outer muscular layer is the muscularis externa
The epithelial cells of the mucosa are polarized, what does this mean?
They have a basolateral surface and apical surface
*there are different transport proteins on each surface
Which surface of epithelial cells is closest to the blood surface, facing away from the tube?
Basolateral surface
Which surface of the mucosal epithelium inserts the inside of the tube or lumen of the tube
Apical surface
What is the function of the epithelial layer of the mucosa (layer of the GIT)
- Selective uptake of nutrients, electrolytes and water
- Prevent passage of harmful substances
- stem cells in crypts produce daughter cells
Epithelial surface area is increased by presence of _______ and ______
Epithelial surface area is increased by presence of villi and crypts
- Villus contains a _________
- Crypt is a region which _______ into the _______
- Villus contains a single layer of epihelial cells containing microvilli
- Crypt is a region which invaginates into the lamina propria
- has stem cells
The ______ is the air passage between the pharynx and trachea
The larynx is the air passage between the pharynx and trachea
The _______ is the area around the vocal cords where air travels through
The glottis is the area around the vocal cords where air travels through
The _______ is a tissue flap that covers the trachea during swallowing
The epiglottis is a tissue flap that covers the trachea during swallowing
Swallowing is a series of ______ initiated by ______ receptors in the wall of the ________
Swallowing is a series of reflexes initiated by pressure receptors in the wall of the pharynx
How is swallowing initiated?
Pressure receptors in the pharynx are initiated by food or liquid entering the pharynx. The receptors send signals to the swallowing centre in the brainstem which signals muscles in the pharynx, the esophagus and respiratory muscles
What is happening at each letter in the image?
a) Tongue pushes food (bolus) to the back of the pharynx
b) Soft palate elevates to prevent food entering the nasal passages
- Impulses from the swallowing centre:
- inhibit respiration, raise the larynx, and close the glottis
c) Epiglottis covers the glottis to prevent food/liquid entering the trachea
d) Food descends into the esophagus
What is the upper esophageal sphincter composed of and where is it located relative to the pharynx?
- Upper esophageal sphincter is composed of a ring of skeletal muscle
- Found just inferior to the pharynx
What is the Lower Esophageal Sphincter composed of?
Where is it located?
Composed of a ring of smooth muscle
Found where the esophagus joins the stomach
At rest, are the esophageal sphincters open or closed?
Closed (both are closed except when swallowing, vomiting or burping)
What type of tissue is the esophagus composed of?
Stratified squamous epithelium
In upper third of the esophagus is _______ mm and the lower two thirds is ______ mm
In upper third of the esophagus is skeletal mm and the lower two thirds is smooth mm
What is secreted in the esophagus to lubricate and aid in the passage of food?
Mucus
What happens during the esophageal phase of swallowing?
- Upper esophageal sphincter relaxes = allows food to pass through
- sphincter closes and glottis opens to breathe again
- Peristaltic waves move the food bolus down the esophagus towards the stomach (~5-9seconds)
- Lower sphincter at the stomach opens and allows food to pass through
- Lower sphincter closes
What is the main force for the esophageal phase of swallowing?
Peristalsis (gravity assists but is NOT necessary eg can still swallow when in space or upside down)
What aids the lower esophageal sphincter in preventing gastric contents from entering the esophagus?
Equal pressure of the lower esophagus and the stomach = no pressure gradient forcing the gastric contents out
What happens when small amounts of acid enter the esophagus?
- Stimulation of peristalsis to push the acid back out
- increased salivary secretion
- aids with neutralization of the acid with saliva and clearance of the acid out of the esophagus
What three scenarios might lead to heartburn?
Lower esophageal sphincter doesn’t close properly
A big meal
Pregnancy
What are 5 functions of the stomach?
- Storage of food
- Mechanical breakdown of food
- Chemical breakdown of food
- Control rate at which food enters sm intestine
- Secretes intrinsic factor critical for absorption of Vit B12 in the ileum
What are 2 chemicals secreted by the stomach?
- Pepsinogen
- cleaved to form the enzyme pepsin
- initiates protein digestion
- cleaved to form the enzyme pepsin
- HCl
- dissolves food and partially digests macromolecules in food
Vitamin B12 is required for:
Red blood cell formation
Failure to absorb Vit B12 might result in:
Pernicious anemia and RBC deficiency
Which region of the stomachhas the most muscle?
Fundus and Body each have a thin layer of smooth mm
Antrum has a thicker smooth muscle layer
What is different between the three regions of the stomach?
- Fundus and Body
- thin layer of smooth mm
- secretes
- mucus
- pepsinogen
- HCl
- Antrum
- Thicker smooth mm layer
- Secretes
- Mucus
- Pepsinogen
- Gastrin
What controls the emptying of the stomach?
Pyloric Sphincter
A chemical messenger secreted into ducts then on to an epithelial surface without passing into blood?
Exocrine secretion
What are three major exocrine secretions in the stomach?
- Mucus
- protective coating to avoid self-digestion
- HCl
- Hydrolysis of proteins into AA, dissolving food and digesting macromolecules and sterilizing food
- Pepsinogen
- precursor to pepsin which is important for protein digestion
What are four minor secretions of the stomach?
- Intrinsic factor
- Vit B12 absorption
- Gastrin (endocrine)
- important for stimulating HCl production and increasing stomach motility
- Histamine (paracrine)
- Stimulates HCl production
- Somatostatin (paracrine)
- Inhibits HCl production
What is the function of the following four stomach secretions:
- Intrinsic factor
- Gastrin
- Histamine
- Somatostatin
What is the function of the following four stomach secretions:
- Intrinsic factor
- absorption of Vit B12
- Gastrin
- Endocrine
- hormone important for stimulating HCl production
- Increases stomach motility
- Histamine
- Paracrine
- stimulates HCl production
- Somatostatin
- Paracrine
- Inhibits HCl production
A generalized gastric gland has what five types of cells?
Include role and where they are mostly found
- Mucous cell
- Mucous neck cell
- Parietal Cell
- secretes intrinsic factor and HCl
- Found mostly in the Body/Fundus
- Chief Cell
- Secretes pepsinogen
- Enteroendocrine cell
- G-cells
- Secrete Gastrin
- Found mostly in the antrum
Where are chief cells found?
What do they secrete?
In gastric glands in all regions of the stomach
Secrete Pepsinogen (inactive precursor to pepsin)
Pepsinogen is cleaved by HCl into pepsin which accelerates protein digestion
Where are enteroendocrine cells found?
What are they also known as?
Secrete?
- Where are enteroendocrine cells found?
- gastric glands of antrum
- What are they also known as?
- G-cells
- Secrete?
- Gastrin (hormone)
- stimulates HCl production and GI motility
- Gastrin (hormone)
Which cell type would you find at the luminal end of the gastric gland?
Mucous cell
Which cell type would you find in the body and the fundus of the stomach but NOT in the antrum?
Parietal cell
What is zymogen?
Precursor for a protein that is not active and some type of chemical reaction needs to occur to make it active
What are enterochromaffin-like cells?
Where are they found?
What do they secrete?
- What are enterochromaffin-like cells?
- Found in gastric glands in all regions (more in the antrum)
- Secrete histamine
- Stimulates HCl release/production
Where are D-cells found and what do they secrete?
Found in gastric glands in all regions of the stomach but are more numerous in the Antrum
Secretes somatostatin
-regulator that negatively regulates HCl production
What is another name for parietal cell?
Oxyntic cell
What feature of parietal cells increases their surface area to maximize secretion into the stomach lumen?
Canaliculi
As the parietal cell is activated, what happens to the canaliculi?
Canaliculi become more defined,
- movement of membrane to the canaliculi
- distends them and greatly enlarges them
- proton pumps are inserted
Why is it important for parietal cells to have many mitochondria?
Need lots of ATP for active acid secretion
How does the lumen pH of the stomach compare to the cytosol pH?
Lumen pH = 1
Cytosol pH = 7
The ______ surface of the parietal cell faces the stomach lumen.
The Apical surface of the parietal cell faces the stomach lumen.
What are 7 mechanisms involved in acid secretion from the parietal cell?
- Na+/K+ ATPase
- H+/K+ ATPase
- Carbonic anhydrase
- Cl-/HCO3- exchanger
- K+ channels
- Cl+ channels
- HCl
Describe the secretion of acid from the parietal cells and include why each of the following are important:
- Na+/K+ ATPase
- H+/K+ ATPase
- Carbonic anhydrase
- Cl-/HCO3- exchanger
- K+ channels
- Cl+ channels
- HCl
Describe each of the methods of transport of the parietal cell:
- Na+/K+ ATPase
- Pumps 3 Na+ out and 2 K+ in for every molecule of ATP hydrolyzed
- establishes electrochemical gradients with a high concentration of K+ inside the cell and a high [Na+] outside the cell
- H+/K+ ATPase
- Apical/luminal membrane of the parietal cell
- Pumps out a proton (acid) into the lumen
- Primary ACTIVe Transport (ATP is hydrolyzed)
- As acid is leaving, the cell becomes more basic
- other mechanisms must prevent the cytosolic pH of the parietal cell from becoming too basic
- Carbonic anhydrase
- Parietal cell gets rid of base by removing bicarbonate
- catalyzes the formation of H2CO3 (carbonic acid) from H2o and CO2
- H2CO3 dissociates into H+ for secretion into lumen and HCO3-
- Cl-/HCO3- exchanger
- HCO3- is pumped out in exchange for a chloride ion (Cl-) secondary active transport
- K+ channels
- As protons are pumped out through the apical primary active transporter, K+ levels increase in the cytosol
- K+ channels in the apical surface open and allow K+ to leave down concentration gradient
- Loss of positive with every K+ means we must lose a negative charge to compensate thought he loss of Cl- channels
- Cl- channels
- Apical membrane
- Cl- lost into lumen of stomach as diffuses through Cl- channel
- compensates for loss of positive charge through K+ channels
- HCl
- Secreted into the lumen of the stomach as a proton leaves the cell tthough the apical H+/K+ ATPase and Cl- through the Cl- channel
How do chemical messengers regulate acid secretion?
Chemical messengers regulate the insertion of the H+/K+ ATPase into the plasma membrane of the parietal cell
What are four chemical messengers that regulate the insertion of H+/K+ ATPase into the membrane of parietal cells to regulate acid secretion?
- Gastin
- Acetylcholine
- Histamine
- Somatostatin
How do each of the four chemical messengers control insertion of H+/K+ ATPase into the membrane of parietal cells? (to regulate acid secretion)
- Gastin
- Acetylcholine
- Histamine
- Somatostatin
- Gastrin
- Gastric hormone released by G cells
- Stimulates insertion of the H+/K+ ATPase into the membrane, stimulating HCl secretion
- Acetylcholine
- Neurotransmitter
- Increased Parasympathetic activity causes the release of Ach
- increases insertion of H+/K+ ATPase into the membrane, stimulating HCl production
- Histamine
- Paracrine released from the ECL-Cell
- Stimulates insertion of the H+/K+ATPase into the membrane , stimulating acid secretion
- Somatostatin
- Paracrine released from D-cells
- Inhibits the release of HCl, gastrin and histamine
Histamine potentiates the effects of _______ and ________ to stimulate acid production
Histamine potentiates the effects of gastrin and acetylcholine to stimulate acid production
Secretion of pepsinogen from ________ cells is stimulated by _______
Secretion of pepsinogen from chief cells is stimulated by the enteric nervous system
The release of pepsinogen from the chief cell parallels:
The release of Acid from parietal cells:
What happens once pepsinogen enters the lumen?
It is cleaved and activated to pepsin by acidic pH in the stomach
What is the advantage of inactive precursor secretion (pepsinogen instead of pepsin)
Prevents digestion of self
What happens to pepsin once it enters the small intestine?
It is irreversibly inactivated
Regulation of stomach secretion is divided into what three phases?
- Cephalic Phase
- stimulation in the brain
- Gastric Phase
- when food reaches the stomach
- Intestinal Phase
- when food that has been partially broken down by the stomach enters the Sm Int.
What is the cephalic phase of gastric secretion?
- Stimulation?
- Nerve?
- Response?
What is the cephalic phase of gastric secretion?
- Stimulation?
- sight, smell, taste of food provides excitatory stimulation mainly via the:
- Nerve?
- Vagus Nerve to the stomach
- Response?
- Vagal nuclei in the brain cause the Parasympathetic nerve to release ACh at the parietal cells = stimulation of acid production
What is the Gastric Phase of Gastric Secretion?
- Major phase for regulating _______
- Stimulatory phase mediated mainly via the release of ______
- Food in the stomach causes ______ to release ______ into the blood which has what result:
What is the Gastric Phase of Gastric Secretion?
- Major phase for regulating acid production
- Stimulatory phase mediated mainly via the release of gastrin
- Food in the stomach causes G-Cells to release gastrin into the blood which has what result:
- Gastrin interacts with the parietal cell to increase acid production
What is the intestinal phase of gastric secretion?
- _______ phase
- Mainly ______ due to presence of ____, ____, _____ products and ________ in the ______-
- Mediated by:
What is the intestinal phase of gastric secretion?
- Inhibitory phase
- Mainly inhibitory due to presence of acid, fat, digestion products and hypertonic sol’ns in the duodenum
- Mediated by:
- Gastrointestinal hormones including secretin and CCK
Where are secretin and CCK secreted from and what effect do they have on Gastric Secretion?
CCK and Secretin are GI hormones secreted from epithelial cells of the Small Intestine
Enter the blood and have a negative influence on gastrin production
What four chemical messengers regulate the insertion of H+/K+ ATPase into the plasma membrane of the parietal cell?
- Gastrin
- ACh
- Histamine
- Somatostatin
What three chemical messengers stimulate the parietal cell to release acid?
ACh
Histamine
Gastrin
Starvation would occur without the ________
a) stomach
b) salivary glands
c) pancreas
Starvation would occur without the pancreas
What are four families of enzymes produced by the pancreas?
- Proteases
- protein into peptides and AA
- Amylolytic enzymes
- starch into sugars
- lipases
- triglycerides into fatty acids and monoglycerides
- nucleases
- digest nucleic acids into free nucleotides
What are acinar cells?
Cells of the pancreas that synthesize and package pancreatic enzymes (as pro-enzymes) into zymogen granules that are stored at the apical pole of the cell
What stimulates exocytosis of zymogen granules (containing pancreatic enzymes) into the lumen of the pancreatic duct?
Neurohormonal input
What enzyme embedded in the luminal membrane of the duodenum cleaves trypsinogen into trypsin?
Enterokinase - activates proenzymes from the pancreas
What is trypsin?
protease that also activates other proteases
What does the pancreas secrete to antagonize any prematurely activated trypsin?
a variety of trypsin inhibitors
What is notable about trypsin that is activated prematurely (prior to reaching the intestine)?
It can degrade itself
Proteases secreted by the pancreas
Trypsinogen
- Activated by:
- Active enzyme:
- Action
- End products
Proteases secreted by the Pancreas:
Trypsinogen
- Activated by:
- Enterokinase
- Active enzyme:
- Trypsin
- Action
- Endopeptidases (hydrolyze interior peptide bonds of proteins and polypeptides)
- End product
- Mixture of peptides and AA
Proteases secreted by the pancreas
Chymotrypsinogen
- Activated by:
- Active enzyme:
- Action
- End products
Proteases secreted by the pancreas
Chymotrypsinogen
- Activated by:
- Trypsin
- Active enzyme:
- Chymotrypsin
- Action
- Endopeptidases (hydrolyzes interior peptide bonds of proteins and polypeptides)
- End products
- Mixture of peptides and AA
Proteases secreted by the pancreas
Pro-elastase
- Activated by:
- Active enzyme:
- Action
- End products
Pro-elastase
- Activated by:
- Trypsin
- Active enzyme:
- Elastase
- Action
- Endopeptidases (hydrolyzes interior peptide bonds of proteins and polypeptides)
- End products
- Mixture of peptides and AA
Major Proteases secreted by the pancreas
Pro-carboxy peptidase A & B
- Activated by:
- Active enzyme:
- Action
- End products
Major Proteases secreted by the pancreas
Pro-carboxy peptidase A & B
- Activated by:
- trypsin
- Active enzyme:
- Carboxypeptidase A & B
- Action
- Exopeptidases (hydrolyze bonds at the C-terminal)
- End products
- Mixture of peptides and AA
What are four major proteases secreted by the pancreas?
Are they endopeptidases or exopeptidases?
- Trypsinogen - endopeptidases
- Chymotrypsinogen - endopeptidases
- Pro-elastase - endopeptidases
- Pro-carboxypeptidase A & B - exopeptidases
Endo = hydrolyzes interior peptide bonds of proteins and polypeptides
Exo = hydrolyzes bonds at the C-terminal end
What is the amylolytic enzyme secreted by the pancreas?
Function and end products?
- Pancreatic amylase
- Function
- Cleaves starches to sugars
- End-product:
- Maltose, maltriose, and alpha-limit dextrins
What are three Lipolytic enzymes secreted by the pancreas?
- Prephospholipase A2 (inactive)
- Lipase (active)
- Cholesterolesterase (active)
What is different between the breakdown of amylose by pancreatic amylase vs salivary amylase?
Nothing, identical process
Relaxation of the stomach is mediated by the __________ to the ________
Relaxation of the stomach is mediated by the parasympathetic nerves to the Enteric nervous system
Lipolytic enzymes secreted by the pancreas:
Prephospholipase A2
- Activated by
- Active Enzymes?
- Action?
- End-Products?
Lipolytic enzymes secreted by the pancreas:
Prephospholipase A2
- Activated by?
- Trypsin
- Active Enzymes?
- Phospholipase A2
- Action?
- hydrolyzes phospholipids
- End-Products?
- Free fatty acids and lysophospholipids
Lipolytic Enzymes secreted by the pancreas:
Lipase
- Activated by?
- Active Enzymes?
- Action?
- End-Products?
Lipolytic Enzymes secreted by the pancreas:
Lipase
- Activated by?
- secreted in active form
- Active Enzymes?
- already active as lipase
- Action?
- Hydrolyzes triglycerides
- End-Products?
- Free fatty acids and 2-monoglycerides
Lipolytic Enzymes secreted by the pancreas:
Cholesterolesterase
- Activated by?
- Active Enzymes?
- Action?
- End-Products?
Lipolytic Enzymes secreted by the pancreas:
Cholesterolesterase
- Activated by?
- secreted in active form
- Active Enzymes?
- Cholesterolesterase
- Action?
- Hydrolyzes cholesterol-esters
- End-Products?
- Free fatty acids and cholesterol