Week 1 - Accessory Organs + Intestines

Question 1

Describe the anatomical position of the liver

Answer 1

Occupies most of the Right hypochondriac and epigastric regions

Question 2

State the 7 functions of the liver

Answer 2

• Bile production
• Phagocytosis of red blood cells and bacteria
• Processing nutrients (carbohydrates, fats, proteins)
• Storage (vitamins, glycogen)
• Formation of blood components
• Detoxification of alcohol, drugs and converts toxic ammonia to urea
• Heat production

Question 3

Describe the blood flow to, within and from the liver

Answer 3

• Heart
• Abdominal Aorta
• Hepatic Artery (Blood flow also comes from GI tract to the..)
• Liver
• Hepatic Veins
• Back to the heart

Question 4

How many sources of blood supply are there to the liver?

Answer 4

2 - Hepatic artery and GI tract

Question 5

Name the two blood vessels that supply the liver & the vein that exits the liver

Answer 5

• Hepatic artery and Portal Vein supply the Liver

- Hepatic Vein exits the liver

Question 6

Name the functional cells of the liver, and describe what they do

Answer 6

Hepatocytes within each Lobule. These cells contain large amounts of RER (Protein synthesis), SER (Lipid synthesis), Golgi complexes (sort & package proteins for transportation) and mitochondria (ATP production)

• play pivotal roles in metabolism, detoxification, and protein synthesis

Question 7

State the function of the stellate reticuloendothelial (Kupffer’s) cells

Answer 7

They remove debris, like bacteria and worn out blood cells, from the blood as it flows past

Question 8

Name the cells that produce bile

Answer 8

Hepatocytes

Question 9

State what stimulates the production of bile

Answer 9

Production is increased when there is fatty chyme in GI tract

Question 10

Describe the pathway of bile from the liver to the duodenum

Answer 10

• Bile ducts merge to form the hepatic ducts (right and left)
• Hepatic ducts connect to form common hepatic duct
• Cystic duct from gallbladder & common hepatic duct join to form common bile duct
• Common bile duct & pancreatic duct form common duct
• Common duct empties into duodenum

Question 11

Name the structure that stores bile

Answer 11

Gallbladder

Question 12

Describe the main function of bile

Answer 12

• Neutralise acid from the stomach,
• Emulsification of fat to enable digestion
• Absorption of lipids, remove waste (bilirubin)

Question 13

Describe the anatomical position of the pancreas

Answer 13

Posterior to the stomach in the epigastric region

Question 14

State one exocrine function of the pancreas

Answer 14

Produce enzymes that help digest food

Question 15

In correct sequence from the beginning name the three portions of the small intestine

Answer 15

• Duodenum
• Jejunum
• Ileum (longest portion)

Question 16

Describe two functions of the small intestine

Answer 16

• The walls of the small intestine make digestive juices, or enzymes, that work together with enzymes from the liver and pancreas to do this.
• Absorbing almost all of the nutrients you get from foods into your bloodstream.

Question 17

Name the four structural features of the small intestine

Answer 17

• Circular folds
• Villi
• Microvilli
• Length of small intestine

Question 18

What is the overall function of the 4 structural features of the small intestine?

Answer 18

Increase the surface area to maximise absorption

Question 19

Specific function of the circular folds

Answer 19

Force chyme to spiral through the lumen, slowing its movement and allowing more time for absorption

Question 20

Specific function of the villi

Answer 20

• Finger-like projections of the mucosa

- Contain blood capillaries, and lacteals (lymphatic capillaries) for fat absorption

Question 21

Specific function of the microvilli

Answer 21

• Tiny projections of the plasma membrane of the cells on the surface of the villi
• Required for secretion of intestinal enzymes and absorption of nutrients

Question 22

State four functions of the large intestine

Answer 22

• To complete the absorption of water, ions & vitamins
• Production and absorption of vitamin K and some B vitamins by bacteria
• Movement of contents of the colon to the rectum
• Formation of faeces

Question 23

State the function of intestinal juice

Answer 23

• Neutralises hydrochloric acid coming from the stomach
• releases gastrointestinal hormones into the bloodstream
• contains digestive enzymes that facilitate the digestion and absorption of food.

Question 24

What are the sections of the large intestine in order

Answer 24

• Caecum
• Ascending colon
• Hepatic flexure
• Transverse colon
• Splenic flexure
• Descending colon
• Rectosigmoid colon
• Rectum

Question 25

Where is the Caecum located?

Answer 25

Between the ileum (distal small bowel) and the ascending colon.

Question 26

Where is the appendix located?

Answer 26

Appendix hangs off the end of your cecum - lower right side of abdomen

Question 27

Where is the Ascending colon located?

Answer 27

This segment extends along the right side of your abdomen

Question 28

Where is the Hepatic Flexure located?

Answer 28

In the upper right part of your abdomen, under your liver

Question 29

Where is the transverse colon located?

Answer 29

This segment travels across the upper part of your abdomen, from right to left.

Question 30

Where is the splenic flexure located?

Answer 30

The bend where the transverse colon and descending colon meet in the upper left part of your abdomen. It is the highest point your colon reaches in your body.

Question 31

Where is the Descending colon located?

Answer 31

In the left side of your abdomen

Question 32

Where is the Rectosigmoid colon located?

Answer 32

“S” shaped portion of the large intestine that begins in front of the pelvic brim as a continuation of the descending colon and becomes the rectum at the level of the third sacral vertebrae

Question 33

Where is the rectum located?

Answer 33

The lower part of the large intestine that connects to the sigmoid colon

Question 34

What does the rectum store?

Answer 34

It receives waste from the colon and stores it until it passes out of the body through the anus.

Question 35

What is Peristalsis?

Answer 35

A series of wave-like muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract. It starts in the oesophagus where strong wave-like motions of the smooth muscle move balls of swallowed food to the stomach (chyme).

Question 36

What is Segmentation?

Answer 36

Alternating contractions and relaxations of non-adjacent segments of the intestine that move food forward and backward, breaking it apart and mixing it with digestive juices.

Question 37

The ducts that transport bile from the liver are called

Answer 37

Right hepatic duct, left hepatic duct, common hepatic duct

Question 38

The blood vessel that carries nutrient rich blood to the liver from the digestive system is the

Answer 38

Hepatic portal vein

Question 39

The structure that controls the movement of chyme from the small intestine to the large intestine is the

Answer 39

Ileocecal sphincter