GI Flashcards
GI Objectives
Which GI organs are retroperitoneal?
Esophagus, some of duodenum, ascending and descending colon, pancreas (except tail end) and rectum
What are functions of the liver?
- Breaks down and builds up many biological molecules
- Stores vitamins and iron
- Destroys old blood cells
- Destroys poisons
- Produces bile
What are functions of the pancreas?
- Regulates blood glucose levels
- Bicarbonates neutralize stomach acid
- Trypsin and chymotrypsin (proteases) cleave proteins
- Carboxypeptidase cleaves proteins
- Amylase cleaves starch and glycogen
- Lipase cleaves lipids
- Nuclease cleaves nucleic acids
What are components of mucosa?
- Epithelial lining (stratified squamous, and simple columnar enteroendecrine cells. Moistoned by glandular secretions.)
- Lamina propria (areolar loose connective tissues, smooth muscle cells, lymphoid tissue, nerve endings)
- Muscularis mucosae (inner/outer layer of smooth muscle, elastic fibers)
What are components of submucosa?
Dense irregular connective tissues.
Meissner nerve plexus (secretion of digestive enzymes)
Binds to muscularis externa.
Blood & lymph vessels
Sometimes exocrine glands that secrete buffers & enzymes
What are components of muscularis externa?
Internal (circular) layer and external (longitudinal) muscle layer for peristalsis and digestion
What are components of serosa?
Loose connective tissue, adipose, simple squamous epithelium (mesothelium).
Adventitia: fibrous sheath of dense collage fibers that attaches digestive tract to adjacent structures
What are pacesetter cells?
Cells in muscularis mucosae and muscularis externa that spontaneously depolarize and set rhythmic cycles of digestion
What are 2 mechanical processes of moving digested materials?
- Peristalsis (wave like contractions to push bolus forward)
- Segmentation (churn and fragment bolus to mix contents with intestinal secretions
What local factors affect digestive functions?
pH Volume Chemical composition of intestinal contents Stretching of intestinal wall Local messengers
What are neural mechanisms that control digestive functions?
- Short reflexes (triggered by chemo/stretchreceptors, neurons in myenteric plexus)
- Long reflexes (involve interneurons and motor neurons in CNS, control large scale peristalsis. Cranial nerves IX and X or pelvic nerves in myenteric plexus)
What are characteristics of esophageal tissue?
- Mucosa has nonkeratinized, stratified squamous epithelium.
- Mucosa & submucosa adare packed into folds (expand for swallowing)
- Muscularis mucosae has irregular layer of smooth muscle
- Esophageal glands produce mucus for less friction
- Upper 3rd is skeletal muscle, middle 3rd is skeletal/smooth, lower 3rd smooth only
What are characteristics of gastric tissue?
- Simple columnar epithelium
- Rugae are folded ridges that allow stomach stretching
- Gastric pits (mucous cells) open to gastric glands (chief, parietal, G cells)
What are characteristics of small intestine tissue?
- Permanent transverse folds called circular folds (plicae circulares) for absorption
- Intestinal villi with microvilli brush border
- Each villus has capillaries originating from submucosa that carry absorbed nutrients to liver
- Lacteal lymphatic vessels absorb chylomicrons (which can’t enter capillaries)
What are characteristics of large intestine tissue?
- Larger diameter but thinner walls compared to small intestine
- Lymphoid nodules in lamina propria & submucosa
- Lacks villi
- Abundance of goblet cells (mucus)
- Intestinal glands are deeper than in small intestine
What are parietal cells?
- Most common along proximal portion of gastric gland
- Secrete intrinsic factor for B12 absorption
- Secrete H+ via ATPase & chloride in countertransport with bicarbonate (alkaline tide) to make HCl