Physiology Flashcards
What are the seven sphincters of the GI tract?
UES LES pyloric sphincter sphincter of Oddi ileocecal internal anal external anal
What area of the GIT is Meissner’s plexus best developed in? What does it control?
best developed in the SI and controls GI secretions
Where is Auerbach’s plexus found? What does it control?
it is between circular and longitudinal layers of muscle in muscularis externa and is well developed throughout the GIT; controls GI movements
What does the enteric nervous system control?
motility, exocrine and endocrine secretions, and microcirculation of the GIT
How is the enteric nervous system connected to the autonomic neural network in CNS?
by parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves
What are examples of intermediate cells which the ENS is able to indirectly influence effector systems?
endocrine, interstitial cells of Cajal, cells of immune system (mast cells)
Where are primary vagal afferent neuron cell bodies?
nodose ganglia
Where are primary sympathetic afferent neuron cell bodies?
dorsal root ganglia
The presence of extrinsic nerves from the autonomic nervous system is not necessary for may of the functional characteristics of GIT, but is needed for ____________
coordination of most GI functions
Afferent fibers come from what, within the gut wall and then run to the CNS, which then influence central and neural control
chemoreceptors and mechanoreceptors
What nerves contribute the parasympathetic innervation of the GIT and what area do they go to?
vagus nerves (above and first 2/3 of the transverse colon) pelvic (sacral) nerves (below and distal of the transverse colon)
Where do parasympathetic, pre-g fibers terminate? what do they share their post-g fibers with?
ganglia of the intramural plexuses and share their post-g with the ENS
When the vagus nerves are activated, what happens?
mostly excitatory - increasing motility or secretion
What two neurotransmitters are considered excitatory? What two neurotransmitters are considered inhibitors?
excitatory - ACh and SubP
inhibitory - VIP and NO
Where do sympathetic post-g adrenergic fibers arise from?
prevertebral ganglia
Most sympathetic fibers synapse where? This releases norepinepherine that does what?
intramural plexuses
NE inhibits parasympathetic ACh release by activating alpha2 presynaptic receptors
ultimately decreasing motility and secretion
Pathways which influence the muscularis externa (____________) and muscularis mucosae (__________) act through the intramural plexuses.
inhibitory
stimulating
Sympathetic fibers innervate blood vessels of the gut, directly causing what? through what mechanism?
causing vasoconstriction (alpha1 mediated) which reduces secretion
Circular and longitudinal smooth muscle is arranged in ________, connected together via _______________ allowing ion movement
bundles
low resistance gap junctions
What is a major determinant of how far the electrical signal is transmitted in smooth muscle down the GI tract?
excitability of cells in adjacent muscle bundles
What are slow waves?
oscillations in resting membrane potential (from ~-40 to -80 mV) that occur at a given rate
What is the basic electrical rhythm?
the rate at which slow waves occur
What are pacemaker cells called?
interstitial cells of Cajal
What is the BER in the stomach? in the duodenum? ileum?
3/min in stomach, 12/min in duodenum, slows on way to ileum
The BER of each segment is set by a group of faster cells called what?
pacemakers
What characteristic of slow waves can be modulated by intrinsic and extrinsic neural input? What increases or decreases this?
amplitude;
sympathetic input decreases amplitude,
parasympathetic increases amplitude
If _______________ exceeds threshold, action potentials may be triggered. The more APs that occur, the greater the contraction and force (tension) developed)
slow waves
What phase of AP is due primarily to Calcium entry into the cell through L-type Ca channels? Repolarization occurs coincident with increasing what?
initial rising phase
Gk
What is a major source of calcium for concentration?
extracellular calcium entering visceral smooth muscle cells during an AP
Initial AP occurs near what part of the slow wave?
peak on the rising phase
What contracts only in response to APs?
intestine
What can contract in the absence of APs?
stomach
Mixing movements of the GIT that are local constrictive contractions are called what?
segmentation
What is the stimulus for peristalsis?
distention
What is the peristaltic reflex?
The law of the gut - segment on the orad side of a distention contracts first and moves sequentially caudad. simultaneous reflex relaxation of the smooth muscle in front of the distention through ENS
What is the strong wave of contractile activity that spreads down through the GIT between meals called? When does this occur? What is its purpose?
Migrating Motor Complex (MMC); occurs once every two hours during the interdigestive (fasted) period; sweep clean the GI lumen between meals, moving undigested contents >2mm in diameter to move out of stomach and into SI
What are four things that control contractile activities of the GI system?
- CNS/ANS
- ENS
- electrical coupling between cells
- humoral factors
Neuromuscular contractions- the circular layer of smooth muscle makes the gut __________________. the longitudinal layrer of smooth muscle makes ___________________.
circular layer - longer and thinner
longitudinal layer - shorter and wider
What two transmitters excite smooth muscle contraction?
ACh and Sub P
What two transmitters relax GI smooth muscle?
NO and VIP (vasoactive intestinal polypeptide)
What transmitter is released by enteric interneurons?
serotonin (5-HT)
What hormone increases the force of stomach contractions?
gastrin
what hormone is responsible for MMC (migrating motor complex?
motilin
Where is CCK released and what does it cause?
secreted in the SI in response to acid chyme entering the duodenum;
decreases gastric motility
increases GB contractility
What does secretin do?
Decreases motility of most of GIT
What does Gastric Inhibitory Peptide (GIP) do?
mildly decreases gastric motility
What are the three phases of swallowing?
- oral or voluntary phase
food bolus to back and tactile receptors initiate swallowing reflex at pharyngeal level - pharyngeal phase
prevention of food going into nasopharynx and trachea; UES relaxes, superior constrictor initiates peristalsis (coordinated by swallowing center in reticular formation) - esophageal phase
UES constricts, primary peristalsis continues down and then secondary peristalsis is a second wave occurring d/t continued distention if the primary wave did not completely clear (regulated by swallowing center)
Describe the pressure at the UES at rest and when swallowing.
at rest - about 40 mmHg
when swallowing, pressure rapidly drops, bolus passes, pressure rapidly increases, prevents entry of air
Describe the LES pressure and tone at rest
resting pressure about 30 mmHg
sphincter is tonically contracted by extrinsic and intrinsic nerves, hormones, and neuromodulators
ENS alone can maintain constriction (extrinsic nerves can be cut and maintained tone)
What is LES relaxation mediated by?
a vagovagal reflex that causes relaxation of the circular muscle layer
What is achalasia? What is it associated with?
a condition where the LES does not fully relax during swallowing. associated with degeneration of nerve ganglion cells within the myenteric plexus (often a result of an autoimmune attack)
Describe the LES pressure in relation to gastric pressure
in normal person, the LES pressure is always higher than gastric pressure except during swallowing
What are three functions of the stomach and its associated motility?
- large reservoir
- fragment and mix food into chyme
- control rate of emptying from antrum to duodenum
What are folds of the mucosal lining of the stomach called?
rugae
swallowing causes receptive relaxation of the orad portion of the stomach; what is this mediated by?
vagal efferents: VIP and NO are the transmitters
Where are the interstitial cells of Cajal located? What do they initiate?
centrally in the body of the stomach
initiate the slow waves about 3/min
As pressure builds in the antrum, what will happen to chyme?
some is forced into the duodenum, most is forced back into the body of the stomach by retropulsion
The vagus does what two things in regard to emptying the stomach into the duodenum?
organizes both the peristaltic wave and influences force of the contractions