GI physiology Flashcards
what is the digestive purpose of the mouth
chewing
moistens and lubricates food
begins digestion of polysaccharide
what is the purpose of the small intestine
digestion and absorption of most substances
what is the purpose of the large intestin
storage and concentration of undigested matter
salt and water absorption
defecation
vitamin K absorption
what is the purpose of the pancreas
secretion of enzymes and bicarbonate in order to digest carbs, fats, proteins and nucleic acids
what is the purpose of bicarbonate
to neutralise HCl entering the small intestine
what is the purpose of bile
solubilise fats
what is the purpose of the liver
bile
bicarbonate
eliminate waste products and trace metals
what is the purpose of the gall bladder
store and concentrate bile
what are the 5 main physiological processes of the GI tract
motility secretion digestion absorption excretion
what are the defence mechanisms of the gut
Gut associated lymph tissue GALT
organised aggregates of lymphoid tissue- Peyer’s patches
immune cells- lymphocytes and mast cells
gastric acid, mucin, peristalsis and epithelium
what is the lamina propria
loose connective tissue with cappilaries, neurones and immune cells
what is the muscularis mucosae
thin smooth muscle layer of the mucosa
where is striated muscle found
pharynx, upper oesophagus and external anal sphincter
how is food moved along the GI tract
rhythmic contraction and relaxation of GI wall and sphincters
what muscle types surround the myenteric plexus
circular and longitudinal
what type of smooth muscle is found in the GI tract
single unit
what does Ca2+ bind to in order to initiate contraction
calmodulin
how do neuronal and hormonal inputs affect contraction
change the force of contraction but not the speed
what links adjacent cells in single unit smooth muscle
gap junctions
what does calcium calmodulin do
activates inactive myosin light chain kinase
what does the active myosin light chain kinase do
phosphorylates myosin
what does latch state contraction do
maintains high tension
maintains the cross bridge binding with low atp consumption
how does smooth muscle relax
decrease in Ca2
leads to dissociation of Ca- calmodulin which leads to inactivation of myosin light chain kinase
which leads to dephosphorylation of myosin
cross bridges break
myosin phosphatase removes phosphate from the myosin
what causes slow waves in smooth muscle
interstitial cells of Cajal which are pacemaker cells found in the myenteric plexus
what is the intrinsic rate of the pacemaker cells
3-12 per minute
3 in the stomach
12 in the duodenum
what are the stages in slow wave generation
Depolarisation due to the cyclical opening of voltage
gated Ca2+ channels
1. Increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration
2. Opening of Ca2+ dependent K+ channels
3. Increased K+ permeability leads to slow
hyperpolarisation
4. Voltage gated Ca2+ channels close and intracellular
Ca2+ concentration falls
5. Ca2+ dependent K+ channels close
6. Voltage gated Ca2+ channels open
what stimulates the spikes in membrane potential
stretch
acetylcholine
parasympathetic
what stimulates hyperpolarisation
norepinephrine
sympathetics
what acts as a lubricant during chewing
mucin which is a glycoprotein
how is reflex chewing initiated
by food in mouth which is relayed from mechanoreceptors to the brain stem initiates a reflex pattern of activity in chewing muscles
what are the 3 phases of swallowing
oral phase
pharyngeal phase
oesophageal phase
where is the swallowing centre
medulla and lower pons
what innervates the lower oesophagus
vagal motor
describe the swallowing refelex
- Upper oesophageal sphincter opens to allow bolus of food to enter
oesophagus - Upper oesophageal sphincter closes
- Primary peristaltic contraction mediated by swallowing reflex involves a
series of coordinated contractions creating a region of high pressure
behind the bolus (accelerated by gravity) - Lower oesophageal sphincter opens mediated by peptidergic nerves in
the vagus releasing VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide) - Receptive relaxation of the orad region of the stomach
- Lower oesophageal sphincter closes
what may result from achalasia (absence of relaxation)
dysphagia
failure of lower oesophageal sphincter to relax
impaired peristalsis in distal regions
could be caused by Selective loss of neurons which regulate the lower oesophageal sphincter by releasing vasoactive intestinal
peptide (VIP)
what does the parasympathetic NS do
stimulate gastric smooth muscle motility and secretions
what does the sympathetic NS do
inhibit motility and secretions
what myenteric nerves innervate the stomach
parasympathetic innervation via the vagus
sympathetic via the coeliac ganglion
how does the stomach receive sensory innervation
sensory receptors and the ENS
and centrally via the vagal and splanchnic nerves
what can the stomach sense
(pressure, distension,
pH, pain
what layers make up the muscularis externa
oblique, circular and longitudinal muscle
what is the orad
upper proximal part of the stomach which distends in order to make room for food
the stomach can be increased to 1.5 l
what afferent information is sent via the vagus
Mechanoreceptors associated with chewing, oesophageal
and stomach distension relay information to CNS via
sensory neurons
what efferent information is sent via the vagus
efferent information from the CNS causes orad relaxation
what neuropeptide is released from postganglionic peptidergic vagal neurons in order to relax the orad
vasoactive intestinal peptide
what part of the stomach is responsible for mixing
thick muscular wall of the caudad
– contraction waves begin in the middle of the body, move
distally with increasing strength towards the pylorus