GI system (https://youtu.be/ueMJWsPy3hA?si=t7tvHTopi6nYReA5) Flashcards
What are the functions of the GI tract?
Digestion, absorption and excretion of organic nutrients, minerals and water. It also acts as host defense
Where does digested food go?
water soluble components go into the blood and fat soluble components go into the lymphatic system
What kinds of compounds are not digested?
drugs, cholesterol, steroids and some fiber
Why Is the Gi tract a potential portal for harmful substances
Because it is continuous with the exterior of the body
What components make up the GIT?
Mouth, Pharynx, Esophagus, stomach, small small intestine, large intestine and accessory organs
What makes up the small intestine?
Duodenum, jejunum, ileum
What are the accessory Organs?
Pancreas, liver, gall bladder and salivary glands
What is the difference in composition between the GIT?
upper part is skeletal muscle and lower part is smooth muscle
What structures help to increase SA in the GIT
Vili, microvilli and crypts
What layers make up the GIT
Mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa and serosa
What layers make up the mucosa?
Epithelium, lamina propria and Muscularis mucosa
What type of arrangements are present in the epithelial layer?
Basolateral and apical arrangement; different transport proteins are present at the apical surface compared to the basolateral surface
What do tight junctions do in the epithelial?
Confine the proteins to specific membrane regions
What is the epithelial function?
- Provides selective uptake of nutrients, electrolytes and H2O
- Regeneration of the epithelial occurs every ~5 days due to migration of daughter cells towards the villous
What are the 2 types of selective transport across the epithelium?
Paracellular- tight junctions allow water and small ions between cells
Transcellular- 2 step process that requires transport proteins on the apical and basolateral surface of the cell; substances pass through cells
What makes up the lamina propria?
Connective tissue, small blood vessels, lymphatic vessels , nerve fibres and immune/inflammatory cells
What is the muscularis mucosa?
A thin layer of smooth muscle which is important for villli movement, it is not involved in GIT contraction
What is the submucosa made of?
A plexus of nerve cell bodies, connective tissue, blood and lymphatic cells
What is the function of the submucosa?
Relay of information to and from the mucosa
What is the structure of the Muscularis?
-Thick inner layer of circular muscle. Fibres allow for narrowing of the lumen.
-Myenteric nerve plexus regulates muscle function
-Thinner outer layer of longitudinal muscle has fibres oriented to shorten the tube
What is the structure of the Serosa?
Connective tissue encases intestine and forms a connection point to the abdominal wall
Why is blood circulation in the GIT critical?
It carries away water soluble absorbed nutrients to be used by other body structures
What is the circulation of blood between the gut and liver called?
Portal circulation
Where does the portal vein drain blood from to
From the digestive tract into the liver
What is the importance of portal circulation?
-Removes harmful substances
-Processes nutrients
What makes the liver different from other organs?
It receives blood from the portal and arterial circulation
What governs the GIT processing
The volume and composition of the lumen contents
What initiates reflexes in the GIT
-Distention of walls by contents
-osmolarity of contents
-Ph of contents
-[ ] of specific contents (monosaccharides, FA, peptides and AA)
What propagates GI processes
-mechanoreceptors (mechanical stimulators)
-Osmoreceptors (change in osmolarity)
-Chemoreceptors ( binding of chemicals)
what is involved in the Intrinsic (enteric) regulation of GI processes?
-Dense and complex network of neurons that function independently of the CNS
-controls activity of the secretomotor neurons; motility and secretory
-Myenteric plexus and submucosal plexus
What is the function of the Extrinsic GI regulation?
regulation through the autonomic nervous system
-parasympathetic vs sympathetic
influences motility and secretion of GIT
-hunger
-sight / smell of food
-emotional state
What does each plexus affect
-Myenteric influences smooth muscle
-Submucosal influence secretion
However, nerves in each can influence each other
What is the function of the extrinsic neuronal regulation of GI processes?
Regulation through the autonomic nervous system influences the motility and secretion
-hunger, smell , emotions
Explain the long (extrinsic) neural pathway
1) extrinsic factor (sight, smell taste etc)
2) travels to CNS by afferent neurons
3) to nerve plexus within GI walls though efferent neurons
4) smooth muscle/glands are targeted
5) response occurs in GI lumen causing reflex
Explain the short (intrinsic) neural pathway
1) chemoreceptors, osmoreceptors or mechanoreceptors within the GI wall are sent to the nerve plexus
2) smooth muscle/glands are targeted
3) response occurs in GI lumen causing reflex
4) The stimulus is sent to release more receptors
What are the 4 types of chemical messengers?
Endocrine: hormone released from blood targets 1+ cells in the body
Neurocrine: NT from nerve targets neuron or effector cell in close proximity
Paracrine: Local cell releases paracrine to cells in close proximity
Autocrine: local cell releases autocrine to act on the same cell that secreted the substance
What are the 4 most common GI hormones?
Secretin, Cholecystokinin (CCK), gastrin and glucose dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP)
-they are all peptides that participate in a feedback control system
Gastrin
-released from antrum (G cells)
-stimulated by peptides/ amino acids in stomach
-increases [HCL] and motility
Secretin
-released from the small intestine ( S cells)
-stimulated by acid in small intestine
-decreases [HCl] and stomach motility, increases HCO3 - and H2O
CCK
-released from small intestine (I cells)
-stimulated by digested fat/protein in small intestine
-decreases [HCl], stomach motility and increases pancreatic enzymes and bile expulsion
GIP
-released from small intestine (K cells)
-stimulated by glucose / fat in small intestine
-increases [insulin]
What is intestinal motility?
The contraction and relaxation of the 2 outer smooth muscle layers if the GIT
-peristalsis (propulsion)
-segmentation (mixing)
What are slow waves (basal electrical rhythm)?
constant depolarization and repolarization cycles in the GIT
How are slow waves propagated?
Through circular and longitudinal muscle layers through gap junctions
What affects contraction from slow waves?
Absence of neural/hormonal (food) input decrease contractions
what are the 3 phases of of GI system control?
1) cephalic (head)
-receptors stimulated by sight, smell, taste, chewing food and emotional state
-parasympathetic fibres activate neurons in GI nerve plexi
2) Gastric (stomach)
-receptors stimulated by distention, acidity, amino acids and peptides
-mediated by short/long neural reflexes
3) Intestinal
-receptors stimulated by distention, acidity, osmolarity and digestive products
-mediated by short/long neural reflexes and by hormones (secretin, cck, gip)
What part of the brain controls food intake? Where is the feeding center vs the satiety center?
The hypothalamus
feeding center- lateral region
satiety center- ventromedial region
What are orexigenic factors and what do they do?
They are factors that increase food intake
-NPY is a NT in the hypothalamus that stimulates hunger
-Ghrelin is made/released from endocrine cells in the stomach during fasting to stimulate the release of NPY
What are anorexigenic factors and what do they do?
They are factors that decrease food intake (LIMP)
Leptin-from adipose
Insulin- from pancreas
Melanocortin-from hypothalamus
Peptide YY-from intestine
What factor is believed to be common in obese people?
Leptin resistance which decreases feelings of satiety
Where does water regulation occur?
The thirst center in the hypothalamus
What 4 things stimulate water intake?
1) increased plasma osmolarity
-vasopressin (ADH) released to conserve water in the kidneys
2) decreased plasma volume
-requires significant volume loss, activates renin angiotensin system which produces angiotensin 2; increasing thirst
3) dry mouth
-stimulates thirst
4) prevention of over-hydration
What are the three pairs of salivary glands?
1) parotid - watery (serous) secretion *WATERY
2) Submandibular -serous/mucous
*WATERY and MUCOUS
3) Sublingual- mucous *MUCOUS
~1500mL of saliva/day
What is saliva composed of?
- water (97-99%)
-Electrolytes (K+/HCO3-)
-Digestive enzymes (Amylase/lipase)
-Glycoproteins (mucin- mucous + water)
What are the functions of saliva?
-moisten/lubricate food
-initiate digestion (amylase/lipase)
-diffuse food into tastebuds
-prevent microbial colonization
-aids in speech
-neutralizes acid (contains HCO3-)
What three cells make up salivary glands?
Acinar-protein and electrolyte secretion (leaky tight junctions allow passage of water/ions)
Ductal-create alkaline and hypotonic nature (tight junctions don’t allow easy passage of substances)
Myoepithelial-push saliva from acinus into duct
How is saliva formed?
1) Primary secretion- acinar cells secrete initial saliva which is isotonic (contains water, electrolytes and proteins)
2) myoepithelial cells contracts to move saliva from acinus to duct
3) Ductile cells make initial hypotonic saliva alkaline
- loss of Na+ and Cl-
-addition of K+ and HCO3-
What is basal level salivary production? What does it increase to when stimulated?
-0.5mL
-increases 10 fold
What pathway stimulates salivary secretion?
Sympathetic and parasympathetic but para-sym is predominant pathway
What stimulates and inhibits saliva secretion for parasympathetic pathways?
stimulated by:
-smell and taste
-pressure receptors in mouth
-nausea
inhibited by:
-fatigue/sleep
-fear
-dehydration
-drugs
What are the sympathetic affects on saliva?
-increased saliva
-increased protein secretion from acinar cells
-increased flow in myoepithelial cells
How does saliva aid in digestion?
amylase in saliva initiates breakdown of amylose; however, majority of carbs are digested in the small intestine
what is xerostomia?
Dry mouth
-can lead to decreased oral pH , tooth decay and difficulty swallowing
-water and fluoride are considered treatments
Where does the swallowing reflex begin?
It is initiated by pressure receptors in the pharynx walls (food/liquid entering) and signals are sent to brainstem
What structures are needed for swallowing?
Larynx, Glottis and epiglottis
What is the function of the esophagus?
Transfer of food from the mouth to stomach (18-25cm long)
-skeletal muscle upper 1/3 and smooth muscle for the rest
-food passes rapidly
-stratified epithelium (20-30 cells thick) protects it from rough food contents
What is the structure of the esophageal sphincters?
upper-skeletal muscle
lower-smooth muscle
they remain closed except when swallowing, vomiting and burping
what are the phases of swallowing?
What is heart burn?
Pain resulting in acid reaching the esophagus, it can:
-stimulate peristalsis
-increase saliva
and can occur from:
-an inefficient sphincter
-a big meal
-pregnancy