Physiology Flashcards

1
Q

What are the main compartments of the digestive tract?

A
  1. Oral cavity
  2. Pharynx
  3. Oesophagus
  4. Stomach
  5. Small intestine
  6. Colon
  7. Rectum
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2
Q

What are accessory organs of the digestive tract?

A
  1. Tongue
  2. Teeth
  3. Salivary glands
  4. Pancreas
  5. Liver
  6. Gallbladder
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3
Q

Active process of food entering the oral cavity

What is the term for this?

A

Ingestion

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4
Q

Crushing, shearing and chewing of food

What is the term for this?

A

Mechanical digestion and propulsion

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5
Q

Chemical breakdown of food into small organic and inorganic molecules

What is the term for this?

A

Chemical digestion

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6
Q

Release of water, acids, enzymes, buffers and salt

What is the term for this?

A

Secretion

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7
Q

Movement of organic molecules, vitamins, electrolytes, minerals and water across digestive epithelium

What is the term for this?

A

Absorption

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8
Q

Elimination of waste products from body

What is the term for this?

A

Defecation

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9
Q

→ Caustic effects of digestive acids and enzymes
→ Mechanical stress
→ Bacteria

What do the above provide to the digestive tract?

A

Protection

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10
Q

What is the function of the oral cavity in digestion?

A
  • Sensory analysis of food before swallowing
  • Mechanical digestion (teeth, tongue, palatal surfaces)
  • Lubrication → mixing food with saliva and mucus
  • Limited chemical digestion of carbs and fats
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11
Q

How much saliva do the salivary glands produce daily and what does it consist of?

A

1-1.5l per day of saliva

→ 99.4% water, 0.6% electrolytes, buffer, glycoproteins, enzymes, antibodies, waste

→ Keeps oral surfaces clean

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12
Q

What is the function of the pharynx in digestion?

A

Muscular propulsion of bolus into oesophagus

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13
Q

What is the function of the oesophagus in digestion?

A

Actively moves swallowed food to stomach

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14
Q

How long is the oesophagus usually?

A

Approx. 25cm

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15
Q

What are the main characteristics of the stomach?

A
  • Receives food from oesophagus → temporary storage
  • Mechanical digestion → muscle contraction
  • Chemical digestion → acids and enzymes
  • Expendable tube-like organ
  • Shaped like a “J”
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16
Q

Which organ is shaped like a J?

A

The stomach

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17
Q

Where does 90% of the nutrient absorption happen in the body?

A

Small intestine

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18
Q

How long is the small intestine usually?

A

Approx. 6 meters

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19
Q

What are the 3 segments of the small intestine?

A

Duodenum

Jejunum

Ileum

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20
Q

What are characteristics of the duodenum of the small intestine?

A

first 25cm → mixing bowl

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21
Q

What are characteristics of the jejunum of the small intestine?

A

2.5m → bulk of chemical digestion and nutrient absorption

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22
Q

What are characteristics of the ileum of the small intestine?

A

3.5m → controls flow of material to large intestine via ileocecal valve

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23
Q

What is the name of the valve between small and large intestine?

A

ileocecal valve

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24
Q

What are the 4 main layers of the small intestine?

A

Mucosa (Inner Layer)

Submucosa

Muscular layer

Serosa (outer layer)

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25
Q

What does the mucosa of the small intestine consist of?

A

→ Made of epithelium, areolar tissue and m. mucosae
→ Moistened by glandular secretions

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26
Q

What does the submucosa of the small intestine consist of?

A

→ Irregular CT
→ Between mucosa and muscular layer
→ Contains blood and lymphatic vessels and nerves

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27
Q

What does the muscular layer of the small intestine consist of?

A

→ Contains smooth muscle cells
→ Innervated by parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system

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28
Q

What does the serosa of the small intestine made of?

A

→ Made of Collagen
→ Turns into peritoneum

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29
Q

What are the villi and where can they be found?

A

→ Finger-like projections inside of the small intestine
→ Increase surface area
- e.g. on the plicae

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30
Q

What are the plicae of the small intestine?

A

→ Folds in small intestines

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31
Q

What shape do the large intestine and rectum have?

A

Horseshoe shaped

32
Q

What is the average length and width of the large intestine?

A
  • Average length 1.5m
  • Average width 7.5cm
33
Q

What are the 3 main compartments of the large intestine?

A

→ Cecum: first portion (ileocecal valve💡)
→ Colon: largest portion
→ Rectum: last 15cm (Anus = exit of anal canal)

34
Q

What is the main function of the large intestine?

A

→ Storage of digestive wastes
→ Reabsorption of water

35
Q

What is the main function of the rectum?

A

→ Temporary storage of faeces

36
Q

Where is the pancreas positioned and what does it look like?

A
  • Dorsal to stomach
  • Grey-pink colour
  • 15cm long
  • Release of digestive enzymes
37
Q

What are the 2 main functions of the pancreas?

A

Endocrine:
→ Secretion of insulin and glucagon into blood stream
→ Controls blood sugar

Exocrine:
→ Secretion of pancreatic juice in small intestine
(juice is alkaline mixture of digestive enzymes, ions and water)

38
Q

Where is the liver positioned and what does it look like?

A
  • Sits in right hypochondriac and umbilical region
  • Reddish-brown colour
  • Approx. 1.5kg
  • Approx. 100k lobules → functional units of the liver
  • More than 200 different functions
39
Q

Which organ has more than 200 different functions and approx. 100k lobules (functional subunits)?

A

the liver

40
Q

How many lobes does the liver have?

A

2 (1 right -> bigger, 1 left -> smaller)

41
Q

What are the 3 main functions of the liver?

A

Metabolic regulation

Hematolic regulation

Bile production

42
Q

Which organ has the largest blood reservoir of the body?

A

The liver

Receives approx. 25% of cardiac output

43
Q

Where is the gallbladder situated and what is its function?

A
  • Sits in fossa dorsal to liver
  • Hollow and pear shaped
  • Storage of bile
  • Modification of bile
44
Q

What are the 2 main components of motility in the digestive tract?

A

Peristalsis and segmentation

45
Q

What is peristalsis?

A
  • Propulsion of bolus by one contraction after another
  • Circular muscles
  • Longitudinal muscles
  • Continuous process
46
Q

What is segmentation?

A
  • Bolus fragments or entire bolus is mixed with intestinal secretions
  • No set pattern
  • Usually in small intestine, some in large intestine
47
Q

What coordinates the activity of the digestive glands and the digestion process?

A

Local factors (e.g. in response to pH)

Hormonal mechanisms

Neural mechanisms

48
Q

How long does the absorption in the small intestine usually take?

A

Approx. 5 hours from duodenum to ileum

49
Q

What does the large intestine absorb?

A
  • Reabsorption of water
    → 1,5l of food intake are reduced to 200ml of faeces
  • Absorption of bile salts, vitamins, organic waste and various toxins
50
Q

What are carbohydrases?

A

Enzymes that break bonds between monosaccharides → Maltase, Sucrase, Lactase

During digestion

51
Q

What are proteases?

A

Enzymes that break bonds between amino acids

52
Q

What are lipases?

A

Enzymes that break bonds between fatty acids (glycerides)

53
Q
  • Decrease in division rate of epithelial stem cells
  • Decrease in smooth muscle tone
  • Cumulative damage effects become apparent
  • Increase in cancer rates
  • Dehydration is common
  • Direct or indirect influence on digestive system due to changes in other systems

What are these effects?

A

Effects of ageing on digestion

54
Q

What are the two main states of metabolic activity in digestion?

A

Absorptive state

Postabsorptive state

55
Q

When does the absorptive state of digestion start and how long does it last?

A
  • Starts immediately after meal
  • Lasts up to 4 hours
56
Q

Which hormone is the primary hormone in the absorptive state of digestion?

A

Insulin

57
Q

For which purposes do cells absorb nutrients in the absorptive state of digestion?

A

→ Growth
→ Maintenance
→ Energy reserves

58
Q

What is the postabsorptive state of digestion and how long does it last?

A
  • Time between meals
  • Lasts up to 12 hours
  • Period when body has to rely on absorbed nutrients
59
Q

Which hormones are highly active in the postabsorptive state of digestion?

A

glucagon

glucocorticoids

adrenaline

GH

60
Q

What do liver cells ensure during the postabsorptive state of digestion?

A

→ Transport of energy reserves
→ Maintenance of blood glucose levels

61
Q

When do ketone bodies form in the postabsroptive state of digestion?

A

If carb reserves have been fully depleted

62
Q

What is a normal pH value in the body?

A

7.35 - 7.45

63
Q

What is the pH value when there is acidosis?

A

< 7.35

64
Q

What is the pH value when there is alkalosis or basis?

A

> 7.45

65
Q

What happens if the pH drops between 6-7?

A

death

66
Q

What happens if the pH rises between 7.8-9?

A

death

67
Q

What happens in the body if the pH is out of the normal zone?

A
  • Deterioration of CNS → potentially leading to coma
  • Cardiac contractions grow weak and irregular
  • Peripheral vasodilation produces decrease in BP and circulatory collapse
68
Q

What are fixed acids?

A

→ Once produced they remain in body fluids until eliminated in kidneys
→ Sulphuric acid, phosphoric acid

69
Q

What are organic acids?

A

→ By-products of metabolism
→ Lactic acid or ketone bodies

70
Q

What are volatile acids?

A

→ Can leave body by entering air through lungs
→ Carbonic acid H2CO3

71
Q

What does net loss of body minerals in elderly cause?

A

Decrease in muscle and skeletal mass

72
Q

What does a decrease in ability to concentrate urine cause in elderly?

A

Strong increase in H2O loss via urine

73
Q

What does a decrease in glomerular filtration and functional nephrons cause in elderly?

A

Decrease in ability to regulate pH

74
Q

What does a decrease in vital capacity cause in elderly?

A

Respiratory acidosis

75
Q

What is the water content of the body at birth?

A

Approx. 75%

76
Q

What is the water content of the body in elderly?

A

Approx. 55% in male, 47% in female