Gastrointestinal System Flashcards
describe the 2 general units of the digestive system
1) receiving and processing, which is the mouth through the stomach 2) extraction and disposal, or the small intestine to the anus
what are the 4 layers of the gut tube?
-mucosa -submucosa -muscularis -serosa/adventitia
what components make up the mucosa of the gut tube?
-epithelium -lamina propria -muscularis mucosa
what components make up the submucosa of the gut tube?
-dense irregular CT
what components make up the muscularis of the gut tube?
-smooth muscle -this is where peristalsis occurs
what components make up the serosa/adventitia of the gut tube?
-CT holding everything together -adventitia is the CT -serosa is when the CT is covered in mesothelium -retroperitoneal organs can have both
what 2 components are in the dense irregular CT of the gut tube submucosa?
-large blood vessels -meissner’s submucosal enteric nerve plexus - this regulates mucosal epithelium and muscularis mucosa
what are the functions of the circular and longitudinal muscles of the muscularis externa?
- inner circular muscles propel things forward
- outer longitudinal muscles provides directionality
what nerve plexus is found in the muscularis externa, and what does it regulate?
-auerbach’s enteric plexus found between inner circular and outer longitudinal layers -regulates motility
what does adventitia do?
CT that attaches one organ to another
describe how retroperitoneal organs have both serosa and adventitia
-adventitia where attached to another organ -serosa everywhere else
describe the difference between peristalsis and segmentation
peristalsis
- adjacent segments alternatively contract and relax, moving food along tract distally
segmentation
- nonadjacent segments alternately contract/relax to move food forward and backward; food mixing
what are the 3 histological layers of the pharynx?
1) mucosa - non-keratinized stratified squamous; lamina propria (loose CT) contains longitudinal elastic fibers
2) muscularis externa - circular & longitudinal layers of skeletal muscle
3) adventitia - outer CT
describe the steps in swallowing
at what location do the 4 standard histological layers of the digestive tract become apparent?
esophagus
describe the differentiation of the 3 sections of the esophagus with respect to the muscle
- top 1/3 is skeletal muscle
- middle 1/3 is mixxed smooth and skeletal
- lower 1/3 is all smooth
T or F:
esophageal glands in the submucosa and lamina propria of the esophagus add secretions to aid the passage of bolus down the tube
true
T or F:
esophagus looks histologically like the vagina, with the exception of esophageal glands
true
what can lead to GERD? (gastro-esophageal reflux disease)
improper contraction of the lower esophageal sphincter, allowing acid to enter the esophagus, causing irritation/inflammation
what happens to the epithelium at the junction of the esophagus and the stomach?
it transitions from stratified squamous to simple columnar
describe primary digestion in the stomach
- acidic fluid is added, mixed around, generating chyme
- break down of CHO continues
- lipase secreted to break down lipids
- pepsin secreted to break down proteins
- no absorption yet
what are the 4 regions of the stomach?
- fundus
- cardia - epithelium changes here
- body
- pylorus
gastric pits are indentations found in the mucosa of the stomach. what do they lead to?
gastric glands
under the control of parasympathetic nervous system, what layer of the stomach will contract to mix the food?
muscularis externa
in the cardia, are pits shorter or longer than glands?
shorter
in the body/fundus, describe the height of glands and pits
- long glands
- pits more defined in cardia than fundus/body
are pits shorter or longer than glands in the pylorus?
longer
T or F:
the epithelial structure of the cardia is heterogenous
false:
it is homogenous
in the body/fundus, pits are substantial and glands are longer. what do the glands contain?
- chief cells - pepsin and lipase
- parietal cells - gastric acid and intrinsic factor
the glands of the cardia and pylorus are primarly mucous glands, which serve to do what?
slide everything through