Physiology of the Stomach Flashcards
What are the functions of the stomach
Reservoir
Anti-microbial
Digestion & Absorption
Auto-digestion defence
Intrinsic factor Production
What is meant by reservoir function?
Regulation of food delivery to the small intestine
What is the anti-microbial function of the stomach?
Protects against pathogens via HCl
What are the digestion and absorption functions of the stomach?
Initiation of protein digestion with pepsin
What is the auto-digestion defence?
Protection of itself from acid and other factors with a mucosal layer
What is the importance of the intrinsic factor?
Essential for vitamin B12 absorption
What are the luminal secretion of the LES and cardia region?
Mucus
HCO3-
What is the motility of the LES and cardiac region like and why?
Prevention of reflux
Entry of food
Regulation of belching
What is the function of bicarbonate in the stomach?
Neutralize HCl
What are the luminal secretions of the fundus and the body of the stomach?
H+
Intrinsic factor
Mucus
HCO3-
Pepsinogens
Lipase
What is the motility of the fundus and body region like?
Reservoir
Tonic force during emptying
What are the luminal secretions of the antrum and pylorus?
Mucus
HCO3-
Gastrin
What is the motility of the antrum and pylorus region like?
Mixing
Grinding
Sieving
Regulation of emptying
Where are the majority of glands found?
In the upper part, the fundus. Gastrin thus needs to move to that part of the stomach.
What is the secretory product of the surface mucous cells?
Mucin in an alkaline fluid
What is the secretory product of the mucous neck cells?
Mucin in an acid fluid
What is the secretory product of parietal cells?
HCl & intrinsic factor
What is the secretary product of the chief cells?
Pepsinogen & lipase
What is the secretory product of G cells?
Gastrin
Where are goblet/mucous cells found?
Entire luminal surface and extend into the glands as mucous neck cells
What is the mucosal protection system?
Mucosa keeps hydrogen ions within the lumen of the gut and prevents their diffusion to epithelial lining.
What are the mechanisms of protection (4)?
Mucous secretion
Bicarbonate
Epithelial tight junctions
High blood to mucosa
What are the functions of HCl secretion from the parietal cells?
Crucial for activating pepsinogen
Killing bacteria
What is the importance of intrinsic factor secretion?
Essential for Vitamin B12 absorption
What is the clinical significance of the parietal cells?
Any damage to them due to chronic gastritis can lead to achlorhydria and pernicious anemia
What is the function of vitamin B12?
Erythropoiesis and neurologic function
What is achlorydhia?
Absence of stomach acid secretion
What is the H+/K+ ATPase?
Apical membrane of parietal cells that pumps H+ against concentration gradient
What is the key player for HCl secretion?
Where is it located?
H+/K+ ATPase, located in the walls of tubulovesicular structures
Where is ATPase found in parietal cells?
Tubulovesicles
What happens when the tubulovesicular structures get stimulated?
They move to the apical membrane of cell and fuse with it causing:
1. Insertion of more H+/K+ ATPase
2. Increasing the apical (luminal) surface area by 5 to 10 times
Where are the tubulovesicular structures during the resting phase?
Inside the cytosol
What is the process of HCl secretion?
CO2 and Cl- diffuse from the blood into the stomach cell
CO2 combines with H2O to form H2CO3
H2CO3 dissociates into bicarbonate and H+
H+ combines with Cl- in duct of gastric gland to form HCl-
Why does H+ combine with Cl- in the duct of gastric gland?
If they were to combine within the cells, due to its acidic environment, it would destroy the cells
Why is an ATP pump necessary in the HCl secretion process?
Necessary to pump the HCl- into the duct since the concentration of HCl- is a about a million times more concentrated in the duct than in the cytosol of the cell
What is the strongest factor of regulation for the gastric acid secretion?
Parasympathetic innervation via the vagus nerve is the strongest stimulant t of gastric H+ secretion
What are the positive stimulants of gastric acid secretion?
Acetylcholine
Gastrin
Histamin
What is the function of Gastrin in the acid secretion process?
Can stimulate histamine cells to produce histamine which then stimulates parietal cells
What are the receptors for each stimulus of gastric acid secretion?
Acetylcholine: M3 muscarinic receptors
Gastrin: CCK2
Histamin: H2
Somatostatin: Somatostatin receptors
What is the negative stimulus of gastric acid secretion?
Somatostatin