GI 1 Flashcards
Primary and auxillary structures of GI system
Pharynx
- Plays a role in breathing air
- Also plays a role in swallowing food (along with epiglottis)
Switch from skeletal to smooth muscle in GI system
- Skeletal muscle in mouth, tongue, back of throat, under voluntary & reflexive control
- In upper part of esophagus, muscle switches to smooth (not directly innervated
- Smooth muscle all the way down
Overview of control of smooth muscle
- Local neurons
- Modulated by symp and parasymp innervation
- Modulated by paracrines and endocrine factors
The smooth muscle from the top of the esophagus, all the way down to the anus, is under ___ nervous system control
Autonomic
External anal sphincter
Under conscious control
Auxillary structures are connexted to the GI system by ___
Ducts
Sphincters in the GI system
Open to let food through and close to prevent backwards movement
Which sphincter prevents backflow of contents of the stomach into the esophagus?
Lower esophageal sphincter
What does the pyloric valve control?
Emptying of stomach contents into SI (+juices from liver and pancreas)
Graph showing big picture of GI system
57 mins
Protection of stomach and small intestine from damage
- Only secrete acid when food is present
- Compartmentalization (limitation of acid to one portion)
COMMUNICATION: neural and hormonal - Secrete precursors (as opposed to active enzyme)
Nutrients
Anatomy of the gut: stomach and intestine (this most closely resembles small intestine)
- Large SA (villi and microvilli)
- Microenvironment created by tightly-folded membrane called brush border
Nervous control
- Neurons can activate smooth muscles or secretory cells
- The secretions can be exocrine or endocrine (signaling molecules)
- Stimulated by changes in chemical environment (pH, presence of digestion, osmolarity) and stretch
- Input from the CNS - can impact sympathetic and parasympathetic neurons to regulate motility and secretion (para increases, symp inhibits)
Two branches of nervous control
- Sensory signals sent from the GI tract up to the brain to reinforce what’s happening in the GI
- Other input that’s only available at the brain (sight, smell of food)
Sympathetic and parasympathetic axons primarily innervate ___
ENS neurons
(In some cases they can directly innervate smooth muscle and secretory cells)
What is the nucleus of the solitary tract?
The major integration center for feeding in the brainstem
Vomit reflex (mediated by NOST)
- Closes off the pyloric valve, so nothing goes into the small intestine
- Relaxes the smooth muscles in the walls of the stomach, so it’s flaccid
- Relaxes the lower and upper esophageal sphincters
- Begins the retching mechanism of the skeletal muscle, which involves squeezing the abdominal muscles and diaphragm
- This pushes up on the stomach, squeezing the flaccid stomach
Functions of NOST
- Receives visceral sensory (ENS) and somatic sensory input
- Coordinates visceral motor reflexes
- Affects hypothalamus and release of hormones
- Affects behavior associated with feeding
Labeled diagram of stomach
Anatomy of stomach
- Two sphincters: lower esophageal and pyloric
- The pyloric gland area that forms the endocrine function of the stomach, releasing hormones into the blood, is at the bottom, near the pyloric sphincter
Motility of stomach
- Stomach squeezes in a peristaltic wave to the pyloric area
- If the pyloric valve is not open, there will be aggressive regurgitation
- The ridges of the stomach mechanically break apart food
Gastric gland
- The cells on the side secrete into the lumen of the duct, and the duct empties into the lumen of the stomach
- The cells at the opening of the gastric glands secrete a mucus to protect themselves from the acidic environment in the stomach
- This would clog up the duct, but as you actively secrete solutes, salt, and water, the volume/pressure in the duct builds up and every once in a while there’s a secretion into the stomach
- Then, the mucus layer closes again to protect the cells deeper down
What do parietal cells secrete?
- Hydrochloric acid (HCL)
- Intrinsic factor
Functions of HCL
- Activates pepsin
- Kills bacteria
What cells secrete pepsin?
Chief cells
What do chief cells secrete?
- Pepsin(ogen)
- Gastric lipase
Pepsinogen
- It is a longer peptide than pepsin and it is inactive
- It goes out into the lumen and gets digested into pepsin
- It can then digest proteins
What is the function of pepsin?
Digests proteins
What is the function of gastric lipase?
Digests fats
The stomach releases ___ liters of secretions each day
1.5
What do mucus cells secrete?
Mucus and bicarbonate, which protects the environment in the duct
Exocrine cells in stomach
- Mucus cells
- Parietal cells
- Chief cells