Physiology Flashcards
What mediates the breakdown of carbohydrates?
Amylases & disaccharides
What are proteins broken down into in digestion?
Amino acids
Peptides
What mediates the breakdown of proteins?
Proteases
Dipeptideases
What are fats broken down to in digestion?
Monoglycerides
What mediates the breakdown of fats?
Lipases
What are the layers of the digestive tract wall?
Mucosa
Submucosa
Muscularis externa
Serosa
What’s the mucosa made of?
Epithelial cells
Exocrine cells (secrete digestive juices)
Endocrine gland cells (secrete hormones)
Lamina propria
Muscularis mucosa
What is in the submucosa?
Connective tissue
Larger blood and lymph vessels
Submucous plexus
What is the muscularis externa made up of?
Circular muscle layer
Myenteric plexus
Longitudinal muscle layer
What is the serosa made of?
Connective tissue
What drives slow waves?
Interstitial cells of cajal (ICC’s) - pacemaker cells
How to slow waves spread from cell to cell?
Via gap junctions
What mediates the upstroke of the slow wave?
Voltage-activated Ca2+ channels
What mediates the downstroke of slow waves?
Voltage-activated K+ channels
When do slow waves not trigger contraction?
If they don’t reach the threshold for action potential
Why does the large intestinal favour the retention of luminal contents?
Helps facilitate absorption of water and electrolytes
What is the enteric nervous system?
Little brain of the gut
Where are the vast majority of the neurones of the enteric nervous system found?
Myenteric and submucous plexus
What is the enteric nervous system comprised of?
Sensory neurones (mechano/chemo/thermoreceptors) Internet robes (coordinate reflexes & motor programs) Effector neurones (supply muscle, vessels, epithelium)
What are the excitatory influences of the parasympathetic nervous system on the GI tract?
Increased gastric, pancreatic and small intestinal secretion
Increased blood flow and smooth muscle contraction
Inhibitory influences of the parasympathetic nervous system on the GI tract?
Relaxation of some sphincters
Receptive relaxation of stomach
Inhibitory influences of the sympathetic nervous system on the GI tract?
Decreased motility secretion and blood flow
What are carbohydrates converted to in digestion?
Monosaccharides (mainly glucose, some galactose & fructose)
What substances mediate relaxation of circular/longitudinal muscle?
VIP
NO