The Oesophagus and Stomach Flashcards
State the basic plan of the gut wall from the lumen outwards.
- Epithelium,
- lamina propria (loose connective tissue)
- muscularis (thin layer of muscle)
- submucosa,(connective tissue)
There are nerve plexuses in the submucosa - muscularis
smooth msucle layer - Serosa is a mixture of connective tissue and epithelium
Adventitia is only connective tissue
What vertebral level does the oesophagus start at?
C5
How long is the average oesophagus?
25-30 cm
At what vertebral level does the oesophagus pierce the diaphragm?
T10
Describe the cell type in the upper oesophagus and how is this cell type specialised?
Non-keratinising stratified squamous -
this is good for protection - acts as a barrier and prevents the loss of water through the epithelium. It allows damage without loss of funtion
What are the two important sphincters in the oesophagus?
Upper oesophageal sphincter and the lower oesophageal sphincter
Describe the difference in structure of the lower and upper oesophageal sphincters.
- The upper oesophageal sphincter is made up of only skeletal muscle
- the lower oesophageal sphincter consists of both skeletal and smooth muscle.
but mainly smooth muscle
What state are the sphincters in when there is no food in the mouth?
They are tonically active meaning that they are both closed.
What happens when food goes into the mouth?
how does the muscle contract around food?
When food goes into the mouth, a reflex is set up by the swallowing centre in the brain leading to peristalsis.
the circular muscle contracts above the food and it relaxes below the food
How does muscle type change as you pass down the oesophagus?
You go from skeletal to smooth muscle as you move down the oesophagus.
How does the innervation change as you pass down the oesophagus?
It goes from motor neurones to autonomic nervous system as you move down the oesophagus.
What two types of muscle are in the oesophagus?
Circular and longitudinal
What is the difference between the primary and secondary peristaltic waves?
Secondary peristaltic wave is initiated after the primary if the food gets stuck if the bolus of food is very large
The lower oesophageal sphincter is not considered a true anatomical sphincter. What is it formed by?
Diaphragm (muscular part),
greater curvature of the stomach folding inwards, difference in pressure between the thorax and abdomen
- stops acid reflux from coming up
What are the gastric folds in the stomach lining called and what is the point in them?
Rugae - they increase surface area
-allows the stomach to expand as the folds can stretch out
Describe the transition in epithelium from the oesophagus to the stomach.
- Oesophagus is made up of non-keratinising stratified squamous epithelia
- the stomach epithelium is made up of simple columnar epithelium
What are the 4/5 regions of the stomach?
Cardiac and pyloric regions
entering leaving
body and the fundus
middle of stomach
Pyloric Antrum
bottom of stomach