Lecture 12

Digestion I

Digestive system
The digestive system includes
The muscular digestive tract Various accessory organs

Digestive system
Functions of the digestive system
Ingestion Mechanical processing Digestion Secretion Absorption Excretion

Digestive system
Movement of materials along the digestive tract is controlled by
Neural mechanisms Parasympathetic and local reflexes Hormonal mechanisms Enhance or inhibit smooth muscle contraction Local mechanisms Coordinated response to changes in pH or chemical stimuli

Abdominal Cavity
Forms superior and major part of abdominopelvic cavity Between diaphragm and pelvic inlet and extends to thoracic cage Location of most organs

Organs by Quadrant
Right Upper Quadrant
right lobe liver gallbladder pylorus of stomach head of pancreas right kidney

Organs by Quadrant
Left Upper Quadrant
left lobe liver spleen stomach body and tail pancreas left kidney

Organs by Quadrant
Right Lower Quadrant
appendix right ovary

Organs by Quadrant
Left Lower Quadrant
left ovary sigmoid colon

Abdominal viscera
Esophagus Stomach Small intestine Large intestine Spleen Pancreas Liver Gallbladder Kidneys Adrenal glands

Esophagus
Muscular tube continuous with laryngopharynx Consists of voluntary (upper 1/3) and smooth muscle (lower 1/3) and mixture in middle 1/3 Travels posterior to trachea and pierces diaphragm to enter stomach
cardial orifice

Esophagus
When empty, it has as slit-like lumen When bolus descends, lumen expands to elicit reflex peristalsis in inferior 2/3 Somatic motor and sensory innervation to upper half Parasympathetic, sympathetic, and visceral sensory innervation to lower half

Stomach
Expandable portion of digestive tract
can hold 2-3 L of food

Acts as a food blender and reservoir

Gastric juice gradually converts food mass into liquid (chyme) to pass into small intestine

Parts of Stomach
Greater curvature
convex inferior border

Lesser curvature
concave superior border

Cardia
Surrounds cardial orifice

Fundus
Superior portion related to left dome of diaphragm

Body
Between fundus and pyloric part

Pyloric part
Funnel-shaped Pylorus thickens to form pyloric sphincter

Stomach
Gastric mucosa
Smooth inner surface When contracted forms gastric folds (rugae) to increase surface area for increased digestion

Preliminary digestion of proteins

Permits digestion of carbohydrates

Small Intestine
Three parts
Duodenum Jejunum Ileum

Duodenum
First and shortest part Widest and most fixated Majority of digestion and absorption of nutrients

Duodenum
C-shaped around head of pancreas Receives bile and pancreatic fluid via duodenal papilla

Jejunum
Middle portion of small intestine (2/5 of length) Most lies in upper left quadrant Functions to absorb remainder of nutrients, fat, and H2O

Ileum
Remaining 3/5 of small intestine Together with jejunum is 6-7 meters long Most lies in lower right quadrant Mainly H20 and fat absorption and passage of remnants (ingesta) into large intestine

10

Large Intestine
Consists of cecum, appendix, colon, rectum, and anus Different from small intestine:
Teniae coli (three thickened bands of smooth muscle) Haustra (sacs between the teniae coli) Omental appendices (small fatty projections) Size (much larger in diameter)

Large Intestine
Functions
Reabsorb water and compact material into feces Absorb vitamins produced by bacteria Store fecal matter prior to defecation

11

Large Intestine
Reabsorption in the large intestine includes
Water Vitamins K, biotin, and B5 Organic wastes Bile salts Toxins

Mass movements of material through colon and rectum Defecation reflex triggered by distention of rectal walls

Large Intestine
After cecum follows the:
ascending colon right colic flexure (hepatic) transverse colon left colic flexure (splenic) descending colon sigmoid colon rectum anus

12

Cecum
Ileum terminates into cecum via ileocecal orifice and valve Large pouch for collection of food No mesentery
Can be displaced from its resting position

Appendix
Vermiform appendix (wormlike) Absolutely no function Hypothesized that is was part of the gastrointestinal immune system

13

Appendix
Can be successfully transplanted into the urinary tract to rebuild a sphincter muscle and reconstruct a functional bladder Protected area for the growth of intestinal bacteria

Colon
Movement of ingesta for excretion H2O absorption Lined with bacteria to absorb any remaining nutrients
Breaks down indigestible food

Ingesta moved through the large intestine, dehydrated, mixed with bacteria and mucus, and formed into feces

14

Intestinal movements
Peristalsis
coordinated contraction of both circular and longitudinal muscle layers

Segmentation Gastroenteric reflexes

Gastroileal reflex
Triggers relaxation of ileocecal valve

Circulation to the Abdomen

15

Venous Return
Superior mesenteric Splenic Inferior mesenteric Portal

Next class
Digestion cont..

16