Physio- General GI Flashcards
Name the 5 layers of the GI tract wall, starting from the outside
serosa –> longitudinal smooth muscle –> circular smooth muscle –> submucosa –> mucosa with mucosal muscle
The fibers of the longitudinal muscles are arranged in _______ to work together as a syncytium.
bundles
How does the bundles work together to contract as a unit?
Gap junctions
What causes the membrane potential to rise in slow waves?
intersitial cells of Cajal
True or False: slow waves are partial action potentials.
FALSE. they never reach the threshold potential without an external influence.
How do the interstitial cells of Cajal cause a slow change of muscle membrane potential?
They allow ions into the cell periodically to generate a slow wave between muscle fiber cells
These are the action potentials of the gut muscle, when the membrane potential becomes more positive than the threshold potential (-40mV)
Spike potential
What types of channels does the GI smooth muscle use to cause the spike potentials?
Ca-Na channels
different than neurons
Does stretching the muscle, Ach, and some GI hormones increase or decrease GI activity?
increase!
Case: you prescribe an anti-acetylcholinesterase to a patient for the treatment of myasthenia gravis. What is a common complaint for using such drug?
Diarrhea. The excess Ach activation causes POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP
Does NE and E increase or decrease GI activity?
decrease
What is the main function of the myenteric plexus?
controls the GI MOVEMENTS
remember “my-“ means “muscle”
So where in the gut wall does the myenteric plexus lie?
In the longitudinal and circular muscle layers
What happens to the musculature when the myenteric plexus fires?
It increases tonic contraction/tone of the gut wall –> increasing intesity and rhythm of contractions
What is the purpose of the use of VIP from the myenteric plexus?
It inhibits some sphinter muscles along the GI tract to keep the poop flowing.
What is the general role of the submucosal plexus?
controls the fxn of the inner wall
