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Anatomy and Physiology - pure > The digestive system > Flashcards

The digestive system Flashcards

1
Q

What are the purposes of the gut?

A

To break food down physically and chemically
Absorb water
Excrete cholesterol
Synthesise some vitamins

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2
Q

What are the functions of the mouth?

A

Physically/mechanical breakdown of food
Initial digestive enzymes released
infection control

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3
Q

What is the function of the oesophagus?

A

Rapid transport of bolus to stomach through thorax

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4
Q

What are the 3 main salivary glands?

A

Parotid
Submandibular
Sub-lingual

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5
Q

What is the role of saliva?

A

Release digestive enzymes
Oral hygiene
Lubricate food bolus

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6
Q

What are the functions of the stomach?

A

Storage facility
To produce chyme - physical and chemical breakdown, digestion started
Produces acid - unravels proteins, activates enzymes, disinfects stomach contents

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7
Q

What are the properties of chyme?

A

Partially digested
Acidic
Very concentrated

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8
Q

What is the duodenum and what are its functions?

A

Start of the small intestine
Pancreas and liver join the gut here
Acidic chyme is neutralised here
Water enters duodenum through gut walls - dilutes chyme
Digestive enzymes enter here

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9
Q

What are the functions of the liver?

A

Produces bile
Synthesises proteins like albumin/clotting factors
Detoxifies blood
Energy storage (glycogen)
Mainly composed of cells called hepatocytes

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10
Q

What is the gall bladder and what are its functions?

A

Connected to liver above and duodenum below
Stores and concentrates bile (which comes from liver)
Connects to GI tract through a system of tubes (biliary)
Contracts when fat is detected in the duodenum - releases bile into the duodenum

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11
Q

What does bile contain?

A

Bile salts - help emulsify fats into smaller droplets
Cholesterol - helps excrete cholesterol from the body
Bilirubin - when red blood cells die this is released and needs to be excreted from the body otherwise can lead to jaundice (bilirubin gives stool its colour)

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12
Q

What is the endocrine function of the pancreas?

A

Produces insulin/glucagon
(Very small part of pancreas)

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13
Q

What is the exocrine function of the pancreas?

A

Produces enzymes for digestion
(Most of pancreas)

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14
Q

What are the functions of the jejunum and the ileum?

A

Final digestion
Nutrient absorption (mainly jejunum)
Water/electrolyte absorption (mainly ileum)

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15
Q

What are the functions of the large intestine?

A

Final water absorption
Temporary storage

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16
Q

What is the function of the rectum and anus?

A

Defaecation

17
Q

What is the gut microbiota/microbiome?

A

Refers to the bacteria/fungi/viruses that live in our gut (produce some vitamins, prevent other bacteria from causing disease)

18
Q

How are carbohydrates digested to sugars?

A

Long chains of sugars (starch) or shorter chains of sugars
Broken down by enzymes into single sugar units (monosaccharides) to be absorbed

19
Q

How are proteins digested into amino acids?

A

Long chains of amino acids (polypeptides)
Broken down by protease enzymes like pepsin

20
Q

What is the problem with digesting ingested proteins?

A

The gut is also made of proteins so need to make sure we don’t digest the gut
Proteases are stored as inactive form and activated only when in a safe environment

21
Q

How are lipids digested into monoglycerides?

A

Bile - breaks fat down into smaller droplets (emulsify)
Lipases - break the fat molecules into smaller units

22
Q

How does the small intestine increase its surface area for absorption?

A

Folding the gut (permanent folds)
Having finger like projections (villi)
Having further tiny projections into gut lumen (micro villi)

23
Q

How does the gut absorb substances?

A

Through cells called enterocytes from the lumen (apical side) to the blood/lymph (basolateral side)

24
Q

Where to sugars and amino acids get absorbed into?

A

Into the blood and taken to the liver directly

25
Q

Where do fats get absorbed into?

A

Into lymph vessels and then into venous blood

26
Q

What is egestion?

A

Getting rid of unabsorbed materials - pass through the colon (absorbs most of the remaining fluid producing semi-solid faeces) and temporarily stored before moving into the rectum to defaecate

27
Q

What are the 2 muscle layers in the gut tube?

A

Inner circular
Outer longitudinal

28
Q

What is the enteric nervous system?

A

A complex of nerve nets made up of neurons that reside entirely within the gut, adjacent to muscular layers in plexuses, potentially completely autonomous

29
Q

What are the different types of contractions of the muscle layers in the gut?

A

Peristalsis - moves forward
Segmentation - back and forth mixes
Mass movements - rapid movement forward

30
Q

What is the autonomic control of the gut?

A

Parasympathetic (rest and digest) - switches on
Sympathetic (fight and flight) - switches off
Influences enteric nervous system

31
Q

What are examples of hormones in the gut?

A

Gastric - increases gastric acid secretion
Cholecystokinin -contraction of gall bladder/release of enzymes from pancreas
Secretin - increased release of bicarbonate to neutralise acid

32
Q

What causes vomiting?

A

Numerous causes - irritation of the GI tract, infections, pregnancy, labyrinth causes, increased intracranial pressure, drugs/medications
The force that expels vomit comes mainly from the diaphragm and abdominal wall muscles contracting

33
Q

Which parts of the brain control vomiting?

A

Chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) - detects circulating toxins
Vomiting centre - received input from CTZ and from the Gi tract and coordinates the vomiting reflex

34
Q

What is coeliac disease?

A

Autoimmune condition triggers by a fraction of wheat (gliadin)
Reduced surface area for absorption by destroying villi
Leads to symptoms - diarrhoea, nausea, bloating, tiredness

35
Q

What is lactose intolerance?

A

Deficiency of enzyme that breaks down the disaccharide lactose

36
Q

What is osmotic diarrhoea?

A

Unabsorbed nutrients draw water into gut

37
Q

What is secretory diarrhoea?

A

Bacterial infection of the gut promotes secretion into the gut

Anatomy and Physiology - pure (11 decks)

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