Lecture 7 Flashcards
List the structures involved with swallowing
Oral cavity Pharynx Upper oesophageal sphincter Oesophagus Lower oesophageal sphincter
Why does swallowing need to be precise?
Choking
Aspiration
What does aspiration mean?
When things for the wrong way, e.g. into the lungs.
What is the risk of aspiration?
Pneumonia, which can be severe in people who have silent or recurrent aspiration
What are the 3 phases of swallowing?
Oral
Pharyngeal
Oesophageal
Describe the type of contraction and the type of muscle involved in each of the oral, pharyngeal, and oesophageal phases
Oral - voluntary, striated muscle
Pharyngeal - involuntary, striated muscle
Oesophageal - involuntary, striated and smooth muscle
What is swallowing controlled by? What does this mean for people who have had strokes there?
Both cortex and brainstem. People who have had strokes in the cortex or brainstem can develop swallowing disorders.
What structure does the oral phase of swallowing involve?
Oral cavity
What is the superior, anterior, lateral, posterior, and inferior boundary of the oral cavity?
Superior: palate made up of hard and soft palate
Anterior and lateral: lips, cheek, body of tongue
Posterior: uvula (hangs down from soft palate), palatine tonsil, root of tongue, lingual tonsil
Inferior: hyoid muscles which support base of the tongue
What are the two parts of the oral phase?
Preparatory phase: formation of bolus
Transfer phase: bolus propelled into pharynx
What happens in the preparatory phase of the oral phase of swallowing?
Mastication
- Breaks down solids into size, shape and consistency suitable for transport
- Teeth grind the food
- Tongue and cheeks coordinate the movement so that solids are distributed evenly over the mouth and surfaces of teeth
- Saliva for lubrication and dissolving solids
What happens in the transfer phase of the oral phase of swallowing?
Once bolus is adequately prepared, the tip of the tongue moves into contact with the hard palate, which closes off the anterior cavity. Bolus is pushed into the back of the mouth.
What are the three parts that the pharynx is divided up into?
Nasopharynx: part of pharynx in contact with nasal cavity
Oropharynx: part of pharynx immediately behind the mouth
Hypopharynx: inferior to oral pharynx and leads into oes. Very close to larynx, which leads into the trachea.
For how long does the pharyngeal phase last? Why?
Slightly less than 1s to ensure food doesn’t go the wrong way.
What passages have to be closed during the pharyngeal phase of swallowing?
Mouth, upper airway, lower airway
What are the events that occur during the pharyngeal phase of swallowing?
- Tongue pushes against palate to seal the back of the mouth (oropharynx) so that food doesn’t enter the nasal cavity
- Soft palate elevates and proximal pharyngeal wall moves medially to seal off the upper airway (nasopharynx)
- Epiglottis swings down and vocal cords and arytenoids adduct to seal off the lower airway
- Bolus descends through the pharynx by peristalsis at 30-40 cm/s
- UOS opens just before bolus reaches it
- Bolus leaves pharynx and enters oes
What is the normal state of a sphincter? What does it do?
A sphincter is normally in a state of tonic contraction, relaxing intermittently as required by normal physiological functioning
What is the UOS composed of?
Cricopharyngeus, inferior pharyngeal constrictor, cervical oes
What is the state of the UOS most of the time? What is the normal pressure?
Closed
30-200 mmHg
What does the UOS prevent?
Air insufflating (distending) the stomach while speaking Reflux of contents into pharynx and larynx during oesophageal peristalsis
When does the UOS relax?
When swallowing, belching, or vomiting
What factors open the UOS?
Cricopharyngeus relaxes
Suprahyoid and thyrohyoid muscles contract when swallowing to relax the sphincter
Pressure of descending bolus distends the UOS
Where does the oes extend from and to?
UOS to LOS
How long is the oes?
20-25 cm
What type of tissue is the mucosa of the oes?
Stratified squamous epithelium
What type of muscle is the upper third of the oes made up of? What about lower 2/3?
Upper 1/3: striated
Lower 2/3: smooth
Which structures sit very close to the oes?
Cricoid
Aortic arch
Left main bronchus
Diaphragm
Describe the pathway of the aorta as it passes over the left main bronchus.
Aorta moves front to back over the left main bronchus and sits behind the oes
Where is cricopharyngeal muscle located?
At cricoid
Where does the oes leave the chest? What is this often seen as?
Oes leaves the chest through diaphragm. This is often seen as narrowing of the oes.
What are the events that occur during the oesophageal phase?
- UOS relaxes, bolus enters oes, oesophageal peristalsis initiated
- Primary peristalsis
- Secondary peristalsis
Describe primary peristalsis
- Initiated by swallowing
- Continuation of pharyngeal contraction wave
- Slower than pharyngeal peristalsis 3-5 cm/s
Describe secondary peristalsis
- Initiated by distension (e.g. food stuck or gastric acid)
- Stretch receptors stimulated, initiates local reflex response, triggering peristalsis
- Intent is to clear the oes of food or gastric acid
What is oesophageal peristalsis controlled by?
- Autonomic nervous system
- Enteric nervous system
Describe the enteric nervous system of the oes
Plexus of nerves embedded in the wall of the GI tract - Submucosal plexus - Myenteric plexus Can autonomously Coordination of reflexes Also communicates with ANS
What is the oes mostly covered by?
Adventitia.
What are intraperitoneal and retroperitoneal covered by?
Intra: Serosa
Retro: Adventitia
Describe the normal peristaltic wave?
Contraction occurs in a synchronous fashion from top to bottom.
What muscles is peristalsis of the oes controlled by?
Controlled by the circular muscles which contract above and relax below bolus in a cross-sectional manner and the longitudinal muscles then shorten the oes.