Intestine & Portal System Flashcards
How much of the small intestine can be removed while preserving a normal life?
Up to 1/3
What is the mesentery?
A double-layered visceral peritoneum that splits to enclose both the jejunum and ileum and attaches to the posterior abdominal wall.
How long is the jejunum? Where does it change to ileum?
About 2/5 of small intestine which is 6-7m long. There is no clear line of demarcation between jejunum and ileum as the morphological character of the intestine changes gradually.
What covers the jejunum and ileum?
Aside from the visceral peritoneum, the flap of the greater omentum covers it.
What do duodenum and jejunum mean?
Duodenum = 12 fingerbreaths, it is the length of 12 finger breadths Jejunum = empty
What is the structure of the musculature of the jejunum?
It has a wider diameter with thicker wall.
Superficial muscle layer - longitudinal
Deep muscle layer - circular
Lumen has numerous circular folds which greatly increase the surface area for absorption
What are the circular folds of the jejunum which increase surface area called?
Plicae circulares
What is the characteristic of jejunal mesentery?
Relatively fat free and therefore transparent in living body, so blood vessels can easily be seen.
Where is the jejunum?
Starts at duodeno-jejunal flexure and is mostly located near the umbilical region of the abdomen
What is the arterial supply to the jejunum?
Jejunal branches, which arise from the left side of the superior mesenteric artery. They pass between the two layers of mesentery and form arterial loops, which give off the vasa recta and pass blood to the jejunum
What are the vasa recta of the jejunum? How do they compare to the ileum’s branches?
Straight arteries which come off the arterial loops / arcade of the jejunal branches of the SMA.
They are longer than those of the ileum and do not anastomose within the mesentery, but do so extensively within the jejunum
What is the venous drainage of the jejunum?
Superior mesenteric vein, which parallels superior mesenteric artery. It will drain into the hepatic portal vein
What are lymphatics of the small intestine called and why?
Lacteals - dissolved fats give the lymphatic fluid a milk-like appearance.
How does lymph fluid from the small intestines drain?
Lymph vessels pass into the mesentery and drain into mesenteric lymph nodes located near the intestinal wall, arterial arcades, and proximal SMA.
They will all drain into the superior mesenteric lymph nodes, which drain into cisterna chyli
Where does the ileum run and how much of the intestine does it make up?
Between the jejunum and the ileocecal valve, it is the distal 3/5 of the small intestine. It occupies the hypogastric and inguinal region of the abdominal cavity, and is in the pelvis minor.
What are Peyer’s patches?
Aggregated lymphatic tissues that are more numerous along the ileum
How do you describe the musculature of the ileum?
It is narrower, its walls are thinner and less vascular than those of the jejunum. It has both longitudinal and circular muscle layers, but the circular folds decrease in size and number throughout are entirely absent in the terminal part.
How does the mesentery of the ileum differ from the jejunum?
Ileum has abundant fat in its mesentery and is therefore less transparent than the jejunum.
What is the vascular supply of the ileum?
Vasa recta which are shorter than those of the jejunum. Vasa recta arise from arterial arcades of ileal branches of SMA.
What is the venous drainage of the ileum?
By the superior mesenteric vein, same as jejunum.
What is the innervation of the small intestine provided by? Where do the fibers run?
Celiac and superior mesenteric plexuses.
The fibers run with the arteries within the mesentery, and will be autonomic (motor) or sensory
What types of sensory innervation is in the small intestine?
Mainly sensitive to distention. However, there are pain fibers and fibers which sense food and control peristalsis?
Where does the large intestine run?
Between the cecum and the rectum. It is about 1.5m long, if you include the sigmoid colon and rectum
What are the characteristics of the large intestine?
Large diameter, thin walls, thickened bands of longitudinal muscle called Taenia coli, sacculations of the wall called haustra, and small pouches of peritoneum filled with fat called omental appendices.
What are taenia coli? What are its three parts?
Three bands of longitudinal smooth muscles on the outside of the colon which are most prominent in cecum and ascending colon.
Mesocolic taenia - related to transverse mesocolon
Omental taenia - related to greater omentum
Free taenia - not related to any structure