Intestines Flashcards
Into where does the stomach empty chyme?
The duodenum
What happens to chyme in the duodenum?
It is conditioned
What features of chyme are modified in conditioning?
- Acidic
- Hypertonic
- Partly digested
How is the acidity of chyme modified in conditioning?
It is corrected by HCO3-
Where does the HCO3- used to correct the acidic nature of chyme in conditioning come from?
Secreted from the pancreas, liver, and duodenal mucosa
When is the HCO3- used to correct the acidity of chyme in conditioning produced?
During the production of gastric acid
How is hypertonicity of chyme modified in conditioning?
Corrected by the osmotic movement of water into the duodenum across its wall
How is the partly digested nature of chyme modified in conditioning?
Digestion is completed by enzymes
Where do the enzymes used to finish digestion of chyme in conditioning come from?
The pancreas and duodenal mucosa
Other than enzymes, what is required from the completion of digestion of chyme in conditioning?
Bile acids from the liver
What conditions does absorption require?
A large surface area, to which the luminal contents of the small intestine needs to be exposed to through gentle agitation for hours
How is the surface area of the small intestine maximised?
- Very long
- Increased by millions of villi projecting into the lumen
How do epithelial cells (enterocytes) arise?
By rapid division in the crypts between the villi, and migration towards the tips
What happens to enterocytes at the tips of the villi?
They are shed
What happens to newly formed enterocytes as they migrate to the tip?
They mature
What covers the luminal surface of the enterocytes?
Microvilli
What is the purpose of the microvilli present on the enterocytes?
- Further increase surface area
- Form the brush border
What does the brush border form?
An ‘unstirred layer’
What happens at the unstirred layer?
Nutrients meet and react with enzymes secreted by the enterocytes, completing digestion prior to absorption
Label this diagram
- A - Muscle layers
- B - Villi
- C - Hepatic portal vein
- D - Lumen
- E - Capillary bed
- F - Lacteal
- G - Microvilli
- H - Villi
What is the function of the large intestines?
Absorb water from the indigestible residues of chyme
What do the large intestines do to the indigestible residues of chyme?
Convert them into semi-solid stool or faeces
What happens to the faeces formed by the large intestines?
It is stored temporarily and allowed to accumulate until defecation occurs
What are teniae coli?
The thickened bands of smooth muscle of the large intestines
What do the teniae coli constitute?
Most of the longitudinal coat of the large intestines
Where do the teniae coli run?
The length of the large intestine
What is the effect of the teniae coli on the part of the wall they are associated with?
They shorten it
Why do the teniae coli shorten the part of the wall they are associated with?
Because of their tonic contraction
What does the shortening of the wall due to teniae coli form?
Haustra
What are haustra?
Where the colon becomes sacculated, or ‘baggy’, between the teniae
Label this diagram
- A - Right colic (hepatic) flexure
- B - Transverse colon
- C - Superior mesenteric artery
- D - Haustrum
- E - Ascending colon
- F - Ileum
- G - Ileocecal valve
- H - Cecum
- I - Vermiform appendix
- J - Rectum
- K - Anal canal
- L - External anal sphincter
- M - Sigmoid colon
- N - Tenia coli
- O - Cut edge of mesentery
- P - Descending colon
- Q - Epiploic appendages
- R - Transverse mesocolon
- S - Left colic (splenic) flexure
What are the sections of the small intestine?
- Duodenum
- Jejenum
- Ileum
What functions are common between all sections of the small intestine?
- Secrete protease and carbohydrase enzymes to complete digestion
- Secrete hormones
What hormones are secreted by all sections of the small intestine?
- Secretin
- Gastrin
- Cholecystokinin
What are the functions of the duodenum?
- Addition of bile and pancreatic secretions
- Secretes HCO3- to neutralise chyme
- Osmotic movement of water into the duodenum, making chyme more hypotonic
- Absorption
Where in the duodenum are bile and pancreatic secretions added?
Ampulla of Vater
What is absorbed in the duodenum?
Iron
What are the functions of the jejunum?
- Absorption
- Uptake of things small enough to soak through the villi
What is absorbed in the jejenum?
- Carbohydrates
- Amino acids
What substances are small enough to soak through the villi?
- Fatty acids
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Electrolytes
- Water
What is the function of the ileum?
Absorption
What is absorbed by the ileum?
- Vitamin B12
- Bile
- Anything not absorbed by the jejenum
Label this diagram
- A - Duodenum
- B - Ileocecal junction
- C - Cecum
- D - Appendix
- E - Duodenojejunal junction
- Jejunum
- Ileum
How long does the large intestine take to finish the digestion of food?
About 16 hours
What are the functions of the large intestine?
- Absorption
- Sends indigestible matter to the rectum
What does the large intestine absorb?
- Water
- Any remaining absorbable nutrients
- Vitamins created by colonic bacteria
What vitamins are created by colonic bacteria?
- Vitamin K
- B12
- Thiamine
- Riboflavin
What is the function of the rectum?
Stores and compacts faecal matter
In what form are carbohydrates ingested in the small intestime?
In the form of amyloses, amylopectins, or dissacharides such as sucrose
What is the structure of amylose?
Straight chain with α-1,4 bonds
What is the structure of amylopectin?
Branched, with α-1,6 bonds at branches
What do α-amylases act on?
α-1,4 bonds
Where are α-amylases secreted?
- In saliva
- By pancreas
What do α-amylases yield?
- Glucose and maltose from amyloses
- α-limit dextrins from amylopectins
What completes the breakdown of glucose?
Brush border enzymes
What enzymes are found in the brush border?
- Isomaltase
- Maltase
- Sucrase
- Lactase
What does isomaltase do?
Breaks down branched molecules at α-1,6 bonds
What does maltase do?
Converts maltose to glucose
What does sucrase do?
Converts sucrose to glucose and fructose diamer
What does lactase do?
Converts lactose to glucose and galactose diamer
Where does the energy from the active absorption of glucose come from?
The Na+ gradient set up by Na/K/ATPase in the basolateral membrane
Where does glucose enter the epithelial cell?
Across its apical membrane
What transport is required to move glucose across the epithelial apical membrane?
Na+/Glucose Symporter, SGLT1
Other than glucose, what does SGLT1 transport?
Galactose
Where does glucose leave the epithelial cell into the bloodstream?
Across the basolateral membrane
How does glucose leave the epithelial cell across the basolateral membrane?
Via facilitated diffusion through the GLUT2 transporter
How does fructose enter the epithelial cell from the lumen?
Via facilitated diffusion
What are proteins digested to?
Oligopeptides
What is an oligopeptide?
Short peptides, 10-20 AA’s long
Where are proteins first digested?
In the stomach
What digests proteins in the stomach?
Pepsin
What secretes pepsin in the stomach?
Chief cells
What enzymes digest proteins in the duodenum?
Peptidases
What secretes the peptidases in the duodenum?
The pancreas
How do different peptidases vary?
They ‘prefer’ breaking different bonds
What peptidases are present in the duodenum?
- Pepsin
- Trypsin
- Chymotrypsin
- Carboxypeptidase
What bonds does pepsin prefer to break?
Bonds near aromatic AA side chains
What bonds does trypsin prefer to break?
Bonds near basic AA side chains
What bonds does chymotrypsin prefer to break?
Bonds near aromatic AA side chains
What bonds does carboxypeptidase prefer to break?
C-terminal AA’s with basic side chains
In what form can proteins be absorbed by the small intestine?
Both amino acids and small peptides (2/3 AA’s)
How does absorption of proteins by the small intestine differ in neonates?
In neonates, the gut is ‘open’, so in addition to amino acids and small proteins, they are able to pick up whole proteins
What is the clinical importance of the ‘open’ gut in neonates?
It allows breast milk to confer passive immunity on babies via IgA absorption
What transporter is required for the active uptake of amino acids?
Na+/Amino acid co-transporters
How many types of Na+/Amino acid co-transporters are there?
At least 5
How do Na+/Amino acid transporters get the energy required for the active uptake of amino acids?
Using the Na+ gradient set up by Na/K/ATPase
Give 5 types of Na+/Amino acid co-transporters
Those that take up -
- Small, neutral AA’s
- Neutral AA’s, basic AA’s, and cysteine
- Acidic AA’s
- Imuno-AA’s
- ß AA’s (mainly taurine)
What facilitates some AA uptake?
Passive diffusion
How are dipeptides and tripeptides taken up?
By an active mechanism associated with pumping H+ into the lumen, which then returns by co-transport with the peptide
What is the result of fats being relatively insoluble in water?
They tend to aggregate into large globules
What is the result of fats tending to aggregate into large globules?
It prevents effective action of digestive enzymes
What excerbates the aggregation of fat into large globules?
Acid in the stomach
What happens to fats in the duodenum?
They are incorporated into micelles
What allows fats to be incorporated into micelles in the duodenum?
Bile acids
How big are the micelles formed by fats and bile acids in the duodenum?
4-6nm
Describe the structure of the fat micelles formed in the duodenum?
Fats in the middle and polar components of bile acids on the outside
What is the function of the fat micelles?
- Generate a high surface area for the action of lipases
- Carry products into the ‘unstirred layer’
What is the effect of lipases on the fat micelles?
They cleave the fatty acids from glycerol
Where is the ‘unstirred layer’ located?
Immediately next to the mucosa
What happens to micelles in the unstirred layer?
Fatty acids can be released to slowly diffuse into the epithelial cells
What happens to the fatty acids from micelles once inside epithelial cells?
They are reconstituted into triacylglycerols and re-expelled as chylomicrons
What are chylomicrons?
Structured small particles
What are chylomicrons made up of?
Lipids covered in phospholipids
What do chylomicrons do?
Facilitate the transport of fat in the lymphatic system from the gut to systemic veins
How is sodium taken up by the small intestine?
Via diffusion into the cell, and actively transported across the basolateral membrane by Na-K-ATPase
What is the importance of sodium uptake by the small intestine?
It provides the driving force for the majority of absorption
What ion follows the movement of Na+?
Chloride
What does the movement of Na+ and Cl-, coupled with all of absorption, give?
An osmotic gradient
What does the osmotic gradient in the small intestine do?
Leads to the uptake of water
What minerals are taken up by the small intestine?
- Calcium
- Iron
- Vitamins
How much calcium is absorbed from the small intestine each day, compared to how much is consumed?
700mg/day absorbed out of 6g consumed - >10%