GI tract Flashcards
What is the chewing reflex?
1) Presence of bolus causes a reflex inhibition of mastifitcation muscles
2) Jaw drops
3) Initiates a stretch reflex of the muscles
4) Contraction and elevation of the mandible and closure of the teeth
5) Compression of the bolus on the roof of the mouth again causes inhibition
What are the 3 muscles used in mastification?
1) Masseter (cheek)
2) Temporalis (tempol)
3) Pterygoid (under the cheek)
What does saliva do?
- Lubricated food, makes bolus
- Aids taste and digestion
- Contains alpha-amylase which begins to break down STARCHES
What is the structure of the oesophagus?
- Tube between the oropharynx and the stomach
- Runs posterior to the trachea and the heart
What controls entry to the oesophagus?
Upper sphincter
What is the oesophagus lined with?
- Mucosa
- Submucosa
- Connective tissue
What is Barrett’s oesophagus?
- Premalignant condition where metaplasia occurs of the cells lining the lower oesophagus
- Normal stratisfied squamous cells with goblet cells replaced by simple columnar
What are the symptoms of Barrett’s oesophagus?
No symptoms directly but associated with acid refulx:
- Heart burn
- Teeth corosion
- Substernal pain
What are the treatments for Barrett’s oesphagus?
- Proton pump inhibitor (prevent production of HCl)
- Resection (removal of part of the oesphagus)
What nerve impulses cause peristalsis?
Impulses from CNX and CNIX
How does peristalsis occur?
Primary P - continuous wave
Secondary P - Triggered by distension of the oesophagus, sweeps any remaining food down
What are the 5 regions of the stomach?
1) Cardia - entry to the stomach. Contains mucus glands. Where epithelium changes
2) Fundus - Top of the stomach. Closest to the oesophagus
3) Body (corpus)- Largest part of the stomach
4) Antrum - Bottom of the stomach
5) Plyrous - End of the stomach, lets food pass into the duodenum
Where does the stomach lie in the body?
In the upper left abdominal cavity (against diaphragm)
What is the maximum capacity of the stomach?
0.8-1.5L
Where is gastric juice secreted from?
Gastric glands which cover the lumen of the stomach
What substances are released into the stomach and why?
HCl - bactericidal
Proteases- break down proteins
What do the weak mixing waves of the stomach do and how do they occur?
- Churns food and gastric secretions
- Begin in the mid/upper stomach and become more powerful towards the plyrous
- Pushes out a few mm of chyme into the duodenum from the plyrous each turn
What does the plyrous act as and how?
A sphincter to the duodenum
- Only lets fluid-like substances through
- Opening and closing controlled by nervous and hormonal signals from the stomach and the duodenum
How is food contained within the stomach?
- When food enters it forms concentric circles with old food by the wall and new food by the opening of the osophagus
What is the vagovagal reflex?
- From the stomach to the brainstem and back when the stomach is stretched
- Reduces muscular tone and allows the stomach ti bulge to contain more food
What is the rate of stomach emptying never greater than?
The rate that chyme can be digested and absorbed in the small intestine
What 2 things increase the rate of stomach emptying and how?
1) Myentric reflex
- Increases stomach emptying when there is an increase in the food volume in the stomach, which increases the stretch within the walls
2) Gastrin
- Produced by cells in the antral mucosa
- Causes production of highly acidic gastric juice
- Mild stimulatory effect on the motor activity of the pyloric pump
In 3 ways, how does the increase in stretch of the duodenal wall decrease stomach emptying?
Directly to the stomach:
1) Enteric NS
2) CNX to the brainstem
- Slightly inhibits excitatory signals to the stomach
3) Extrinsic nerves
- Prevertebral sympathetic ganglia back to the stomach via inhibitory sympathetic nerves
What causes a peptic ulcer?
Damage to the stomach wall by stomach acid:
1) H.Pylori
2) Chronic inflammation in the antral mucosa
3) Acid secretion causing corosion of the wall
4) Ibupropen/ aspirin at high doses
What are the symptoms of a peptic ulcer?
- Burning upper abdominal pain which worsens on eating
- Indigestion
- Nausea
What are the treatments of peptic ulcers?
Proton pump inhibitors
What are the symptoms of gastric cancer?
- Pain/ burning on swallowing
- Weight loss
- Upper abdominal pain
- Full after eating small amounts
- Nausea/ vommiting
- Bleeding (dark stools)
- Tiredness
What is the limiting factor of the absorption of nutrients and water?
Surface area over which the absorption occurs over
What are the folds of kerckria?
In the duodenum and jejunum
Protruce 8mm into the lumen
Increase the surface area by 3x