Liver and Pancreas Flashcards

1
Q

What are the two functions of the pancreas?

A

digestive (exocrine)
hormonal (endocrine)

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2
Q

What gland type forms the bulk of the pancreas?

A

exocrine (99%)

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3
Q

What are the clusters of endocrine cells called?

A

islets of langerhans

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4
Q

What are the endocrine cells in the pancreas and what is their hormone?

A

Alpha cells (glucagon)
Beta cells (insulin)
Delta cells (somastatin)

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5
Q

What is the difference between insulin and glucagon?

A

Insulin promotes the uptake of glucose by most cells, particularly those of the liver, skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, thus lowering plasma glucose concentration.

Glucagon acts to increase the levels of glucose and fatty acids in the blood. It also causes the liver to break down and convert glycogen into glucose in a process called glycogenolysis.

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6
Q

What pH is the pancreas?

A

the pancreas is alkaline due to the bicarbonate ions

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7
Q

What is the role of somatostatin?

A

this helps to reduce acid secretion and helps to slow down the digestive process, although it has a variety of other functions in the body.

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8
Q

What do centroacinar ducts secrete?

A

bicarbonate and mucin

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9
Q

What are the secretions of the exocrine gland in the pancreas?

A

Enzymes -amylase, lipase, trysin, chymotrypsin, nucleases

Bicarbonate

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10
Q

What is the role of bicarbonate?

A

neutralises gastric acid

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11
Q

What is the role of pancreatic enzymes?

A

breakdown proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids by the process of luminal digestion

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12
Q

What are the 5 parts of the pancreas?

A

Head
Uncinate process
Neck
Body
Tail

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13
Q

What hormone promotes the secretion of bicarbonate in pancreas?

A

secretin

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14
Q

What hormone promotes the secretion enzyme rich fluid in pancreas?

A

CCK

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15
Q

What is the only part of the pancreas that is intraperitoneal?

A

tail

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16
Q

How does cystic fibrosis affect the pancreas?

A

the thick secretions block tubes that transport enzymes, the enzymes build up in the pancreas causing inflammation

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17
Q

What causes steatorrhoea (fatty stool)?

A

no breakdown of lipids as digestive enzyme are not secreted

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18
Q

Where does pancreatic cancer typically affect?

A

the head

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19
Q

Why does jaundice occur in pancreatic cancer?

A

It is a build-up of bilirubin which is not excreted, due to common bile ducts being blocked by tumour

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20
Q

What does the liver produce?

A

bile, proteins

21
Q

What does the liver regulate?

A

glucose in blood

22
Q

What does the liver inactivate?

A

It inactivates hormones and drugs, as well as insulin and many waste products

23
Q

How many lobes does the liver have?

A

4

24
Q

What is the falciform ligament and what does it do?

A

two-layered fold of peritoneum that connects the anterior surface to the abdominal wall and seperates the right and left lobes of the organ.

25
Q

What is at the end of the falciform ligament?

A

the round ligament – a remnant of the umbilical vein

26
Q

What accounts for 25% of blood flow in liver?

A

hepatic artery

27
Q

How is bile produced collected?

A

Bile produced by the liver is collected by a system of canaliculi that drain into the right and left hepatic ducts. The two hepatic ducts emerge through the porta hepatis and soon unite to form the common hepatic duct.

28
Q

What cells produce bile?

A

hepatocytes (liver cells)

29
Q

What is bilirubin?

A

Bilirubin is a breakdown product of red blood cell metabolism, and normally is excreted in faeces (which gives it’s brown colour), and urine its straw yellow colour.
It also has an antioxidant effect

30
Q

Where is bile stored and concentrated?

A

gallbladder

31
Q

What does bile contain?

A

lipid emulsifiers (bile salts)
bilirubin

32
Q

Where do all nutrients absorbed from GIT tract enter?

A

the hepatic portal vein

33
Q

Why is HPV not a true vein?

A

it conducts blood to the capillaries of the liver, rather than directly to the heart

34
Q

What is the HPV vein formed from?

A

Formed from the superior mesenteric and splenic veins.

35
Q

What are sinusoids and what cells do they have?

A

fenestrated capillary with a larger diameter than usual capillaries. Has specialized lining endothelial cells (main role in clearing blood waste) and Kupffer cells, specialized macrophages.

36
Q

Where do sinusoids drain into?

A

hepatic vein

37
Q

What is cirrhosis?

A

scarring or fibrosis of liver. Inflammation like hepatitis or chronic alcoholism

38
Q

What is hepatic carcinoma?

A

primary liver cancer, and linked to chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. May need surgery, liver transplant or chemotherapy. Most common primary liver cancer.

39
Q

What is obstructive jaundice?

A

Obstructive jaundice is when a blocked bile duct or pancreatic duct, preventing the normal drainage of bile from the bloodstream into the intestines.
the yellow colouring comes from bilirubin, a byproduct of old red blood cells.
may come from gall stones blocking duct or pancreatic cancer

40
Q

What is hepatomegaly?

A

enlarged liver

a sign of underlying problems eg with the liver itself, or perhaps cardiac failure or cancer metastasis.

presents with abdominal pain, Fatigue, Nausea and vomiting, Jaundice. Many conditions cause this.

41
Q

What are the secreted enzymes of the pancreas?

A

amylase, lipase, trypsin, chymotrypsin, nucleases

42
Q

What do the secreted enzymes of the pancreas do?

A

amylase - breaks down starch into sugar
lipase - breaks down lipids
trypsin - breaks down proteins
chymotrypsin - breaks down proteins
nucleases - breaks down nucleotides

43
Q

What arteries supply the head of the pancreas (ie. near the descending duodenum)?

A

supplied by superior pancreaticoduodenal artery from the gastroduodenal artery

also supplied by the inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery from the superior mesenteric artery

44
Q

What artery supplies the rest of the pancreas?

A

splenic artery

45
Q

Where does the head of the pancreas drain?

A

the head drains into the superior mesenteric vein then into the hepatic portal vein

46
Q

Where does the rest of the pancreas drain?

A

splenic vein then hepatic portal vein

47
Q

What lobes are present in the liver?

A

caudate (superior), quadrate (inferior)

48
Q

What can cirrhosis cause?

A

portal hypertension as blood from the entire digestive system is being blocked