GI Histology - Full summary Flashcards

1
Q

What type of epithelium covers the surface of the oral cavity, oropharynx and laryngopharynx?

A

Stratified squamous epithelium

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2
Q

What type of epithelium covers the nasal cavity and nasopharynx?

A

Respiratory epithelium

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3
Q

What is meant by respiratory epithelium?

A

Pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium with goblet cells

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4
Q

What is the name of the ring of tonsillar tissue found in the oropharynx?

A

Waldeyer’s ring

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5
Q

What are tonsils?

A

Collections of lymphoid follicles in the submucosa

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6
Q

What are the 4 types of tonsils found in the oropharynx?

A

Palatine tonsils
Lingual tonsils
Tubal tonsils
Pharyngeal tonsils (Adenoids)

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7
Q

How is the tongue split in terms of histological description?

A

Anterior 2/3rds
Posterior 1/3rd

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8
Q

What type of epithelium covers the anterior 2/3rds of the tongue?

A

Stratified squamous epithelium

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9
Q

How does the epithelium of the anterior 2/3rds of the tongue differ between the ventral (Inferior) and dorsal (Superior) surface?

A

The epithelium is thin on the ventral surface and thick with papillae on the dorsal surface

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10
Q

What type of epithelium covers the posterior 1/3rd of the tongue?

A

Smooth, stratified squamous epithelium which lacks most papillae

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11
Q

What are the 4 types of papillae of the tongue?

A

Fungiform
Foliate
Filiform
Circumvallate

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12
Q

What are papillae?

A

Projections of the lamina propria on the tongue

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13
Q

What is found surrounding circumvallate and foliate papillae?

A

Ducts and serous glands which contain taste buds

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14
Q

Describe the characteristics of filiform papillae?

A

These are keratinised and contain no tastebuds
They make up a large area of the tongue surface and give it its rough feel

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15
Q

What are the 4 layers of the digestive tract wall?

A

Mucosa
Submucosa
Muscularis externa
Serosa or adventitia

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16
Q

What are the 3 layers of the mucosa?

A

Epithelium (Sits on basal lamina)
Lamina propria
Muscularis mucosae

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17
Q

What are the 2 layers of the muscularis extra

A

Internal - Circular muscle
External - Longitudinal muscle

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18
Q

What is the difference between adventitia and serosa?

A

The adventitia is formed mostly of connective tissue and some smooth muscle, while the serosa is formed from peritoneum

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19
Q

Which 2 structures of the GI tract contain glands in their submucosa?

A

The oesophagus
The duodenum

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20
Q

What is the name given to the submucosal glands of the oesophagus?

A

The oesophageal glands

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21
Q

What type of epithelium lines the oesophagus?

A

Stratified squamous epithelium

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22
Q

What it the name of the junction between the stomach and oesophagus?

A

Gastro-oesophageal junction

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23
Q

What type of epithelium lines the stomach?

A

Simple columnar epithelium

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24
Q

What is contained in the gastric pits of the stomach?

A

Gastric glands

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25
Q

What are the 3 main sections of a gastric pit?

A

Isthmus
Neck
Fundus

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26
Q

Which types of cell are found mostly in the isthmus of a gastric pit?

A

Parietal cells and stem cells

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27
Q

What types of cell are found mostly in the neck of the gastric pit?

A

Mucous cells
Parietal cells

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28
Q

What types of cell are found mostly in the fundus of the gastric pit?

A

Chief cells
Some parietal cells
Some enteroendocrine cells

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29
Q

What are the characteristics of gastric pits within the cardia of the stomach?

A

They contain deep gastric pits which branch into tortuous glands

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30
Q

What are the characteristics of gastric pits within the body of the stomach?

A

The body contains shallow gastric pits with long straight gastric glands

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31
Q

What are the characteristics of the gastric pits within the pylorus of the stomach?

A

They contain deep gastric pits with branched, coiled gastric glands, mostly pyloric glands, which secrete mucous

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32
Q

What is different about the muscularis externa of the stomach, compared to other GI structures?

A

It contains 3 layers, as it gains an inner oblique muscle layer

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33
Q

What is the function of the inner oblique muscle layer in the muscularis externa of the stomach?

A

It aids the churning action of the stomach

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34
Q

What is found between the duodenum and stomach?

A

A pyloric sphincter which is a thickening of the circular layer of muscle in the wall

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35
Q

How does the pyloric sphincter constrict and dilate?

A

Constricts via the circular muscle constricting
Dilated via the longitudinal muscle constricting

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36
Q

What are the 3 main components of the small intestine?

A

Duodenum ~25cm
Jejunum ~2m long
Ileum ~2.75m long

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37
Q

What are villi?

A

Small projections of the epithelium in the small intestine which increase surface area for absorption

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38
Q

What are found between the villi of the small intestine?

A

The crypts of Lieberkuhn

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39
Q

What is found at the centre of each villi?

A

A lacteal, which is a lymphatic vessel

40
Q

What is the main histological feature of the duodenum wall?

A

It contains Brunner’s glands

41
Q

What is the function of Brunner’s glands?

A

These are the submucosal glands within the duodenum which secrete a thin, alkaline mucus to neutralise the partially acidic chyme that is produced by the stomach

42
Q

What are the histological features of the jejunum?

A

The jejunum contains the tallest villi, which are located on circular folds in the mucosa and sub-mucosa (Plicae circularis)

43
Q

What are the plicae circularis?

A

These are permanent circular folds in the mucosa and submucosa of the jejunum

44
Q

What are the histological features of the ileum?

A

They contain the shortest villi, but do contain lymphoid follicles, known as Peyer’s patches which arise in the submucosa and often extend into the lamina propria

45
Q

What are the 5 types of cell found within the small intestine?

A

Enterocytes
Goblet cells
Paneth cells
Enterocrine cells
Stem cells

46
Q

What are enterocytes?

A

Tall columnar epithelial cells with a brush border of microvilli, which increase absorption

47
Q

What are goblet cells?

A

These are cells that produce mucin to protect and lubricate the small intestine

48
Q

What are paneth cells?

A

They are cells found at the base of the crypts of Lieberkuhn, which have a role in regulating bacterial flora by secreting lysosomes and definsins

49
Q

What are enterocrine cells?

A

These are cells that produce hormones that contribute to intestinal secretion and motility

50
Q

What are intestinal stem cells?

A

These are cells found at the base of the crypts of Lieberkuhn, which divide to replenish the gut epithelium

51
Q

Where in the small intestine are Paneth cells only found?

A

In the duodenum

52
Q

How is the smooth muscle in the large intestine organised?

A

It is not continuous, but is found in 3 distinct muscular strips that move in the direction of the colon, these are the teniae coli

53
Q

What are teniae coli?

A

The distinct strips of muscle that run along the large intestine

54
Q

What are the 2 main cell types in the large intestine?

A

Absorptive cells
Goblet cells

55
Q

How are the cells of the large intestine arranged?

A

They are arranged into straight tubular glands known as crypts, which burrow into the muscularis mucosa

56
Q

What is the appendix?

A

It is a blind-ending, hollow extension of the caecum

57
Q

What are the histological characteristics of the appendix?

A

It has a similar structure to the rest of the colon, however, it contains fewer crypts and contains circular arrangements of lymphoid tissue in the submucosa and lamina propria
This lymphoid tissue declines with age

58
Q

What is the junction between the rectum and anus called?

A

The recto-anal junction

59
Q

What is the junction between the rectum and anus called?

A

The recto-anal junction

60
Q

What is the junction between the rectum and anus called?

A

The recto-anal junction

60
Q

What is the junction between the rectum and anal canal called?

A

The recto-anal junction

61
Q

Describe the changing histology of the anal canal

A

The anal canal begins as non-keratinised stratified squamous epithelium
Then then becomes continuous with keratinised stratified squamous epithelium, which becomes continuous with the epithelium of the surrounding skin

62
Q

What are the nervous system of the GI tract called?

A

The enteric nervous system

63
Q

What are the 2 nerve plexuses of the enteric nervous system called?

A

Submucosal plexus
Myenteric plexus

64
Q

Where is the submucosal plexus found?

A

In the submucosa of the gut wall

65
Q

Where is the myenteric plexus found?

A

In the muscle layers of the muscularis externa

66
Q

What is controlled by the myenteric plexus?

A

The myenteric plexus mostly controls gut motility

67
Q

What is controlled by the submucosal plexus?

A

The submucosal plexus plays a part in control of the muscularis mucosae and in secretion

68
Q

What are the 2 ligaments at which the lesser omentum binds to the liver?

A

The hepatogastric ligament
The hepatoduodenal ligament

69
Q

What is the name of the capsule that surrounds the liver?

A

Glisson’s capsule

70
Q

What is the Glisson’s capsule of the liver made up of?

A

Mesothelial cells (Simple squamous epithelial cells)

71
Q

What shape is formed by a hepatic lobule?

A

A hexagon

72
Q

What structures are found in the portal triad of the corners of the hepatic lobules?

A

A bile duct, a portal vein branch and a hepatic artery branch

73
Q

What are found at the centre of the hepatic lobules?

A

A central hepatic venule

74
Q

How is the central hepatic venule connected to the branches of the portal vein at the lobule corners?

A

Via sinusoids through which blood can flow

75
Q

What type of cell lines the bile ductules?

A

Cholangiocytes (Simple cuboidal cells)

76
Q

What are the main cells of the liver?

A

Hepatocytes

77
Q

What type of cells line the sinusoids?

A

Endothelial cells

78
Q

Why is the endothelium of the sinusoids fenestrated?

A

To allow the movement of nutrients between the blood and the hepatocytes

79
Q

What is the space between the epithelial cells of the sinusoids and the hepatocytes known as?

A

The space of Dissection (Perisinusoidal cells)

80
Q

What is found in the space of Disse?

A

Microvilli of the hepatocytes
Reticular fibres (Type III collagen fibres)
Some Type I collagen fibres
Hepatic stellate cells (Ito cells)

81
Q

What is the function of the reticular fibres and type I collagen fibres in the space of Disse?

A

They support the liver parenchyma

82
Q

What is the function of the hepatic stellate cells (Ito cells) in the space of Disse?

A

They are modified fibroblasts which form connective tissue and store vitamin A in their fat droplets

83
Q

What happens to the hepatic stellate cells (Ito cells) in liver cirrhosis?

A

They can transform into myofibroblasts and lay down scar tissue

84
Q

What are the resident macrophages within the sinusoids known as?

A

Kupffer cells

85
Q

What is the function of the Kupffer cells of the liver?

A

They remove particular matter and worn out blood cells

86
Q

What are the main components of bile?

A

Water
Ions
phospholipids
Bilirubin
Bile salts

87
Q

What is bilirubin?

A

This is a pigment formed from haemoglobin break down in the spleen, which is excreted in bile and gives faeces is brown colour

88
Q

Which cells produce primary bile?

A

All hepatocytes

89
Q

Which cells modify primary bile produced by the hepatocytes?

A

The cholangiocytes lining the biliary tree

90
Q

How does bile travel from the hepatocytes to the biliary tree?

A

Via bile canaliculi

91
Q

What are bile canaliculi?

A

These are small bile channels formed by tight junctions between adjacent hepatocytes

92
Q

Describe the histology of the gall bladder?

A

The gall bladder is a muscular sac lined by simple columnar epithelium and is backed by a lamina propria of loose connective tissue and many blood and lymphatic vessels
It is surrounded by a coat of smooth muscle and collagenous adventitia

93
Q

How does the mucosa change between emptying and filling of the gallbladder?

A

When the gallbladder is empty, the mucosa is folded
When the gallbladder is full, the mucosa is flattened

94
Q

What is cholecystitis?

A

The inflammation of the gallbladder