Digestive A&P self-guided review sheet

The following are terms that you should be familiar with for the exam. Some of them are
structures that you should also be able to identify on a figure. Others are processes that you
should be able to describe in detail.

 Tooth:
o Crown
o Neck
o Root
o Pulp cavity
o Enamel
o Dentin
o Periodontal ligament

 Submandibular gland
 Sublingual gland
 Parotid gland

 Nasopharynx
 Oropharynx
 Laryngopharynx
 Superior constrictor muscle
 Middle constrictor muscle
 Inferior constrictor muscle

 Epiglottis

 Mucosa
 Submucosa
 Muscularis externa
 Serosa (adventitia)

 Esophagus
 Esophageal hiatus

 Mesenteries:
o Greater omentum
o Lesser omentum
o Transverse mesocolon
o Mesentery (proper)
o Parietal peritoneum
 o Visceral peritoneum

 Stomach:
o Fundus
o Cardia
o Pylorus
o Pyloric sphincter
o Rugae (gastric folds)
o Chyme
o Gastric pit
o Gastric gland

o Mucus (neck) cells

o Gastrin
o Histamine (its gastric function)
o Hydrochloric acid
o Pepsinogen
o Pepsin
o Somatostatin
o Intrinsic factor
o Ghrelin
o Serotonin (its gastric function)

 Cephalic phase of gastric function

 Peristalsis
 Segmentation

 Enterogastrones:
o Secretin
o CCK

 Duodenum
 Jejunum
 Ileum

 Major duodenal papilla

 Plicae circularis
 Intestinal villi
 Intestinal microvilli
 Lacteal

 Brush border
 Brush border enzymes
 Enterokinase

 Enteric nervous system:

 Ileocecal valve
 Cecum
 Colon (ascending, transverse, descending, sigmoid)
 Rectum
 Anal canal
 External & internal anal sphincter
 Haustrum
 Tenia coli
 Appendix

 Intestinal microflora
 Short chain fatty acid

 Celiac trunk
 Superior mesenteric artery
 Inferior mesenteric artery
 Portal vein

 Hyperglycemia
 Hypoglycemia
 Glycogenolysis
 Glycogenesis

 Liver & gallbladder:

 Bile
 Bilirubin
 Bile salt
 Enterohepatic circulation

 Pancreas:
o Alpha cell
o Beta cell
o Insulin
o Glucagon
o Pancreatic islet
o Main pancreatic duct
o Acinar cells

o Trypsinogen
o Trypsin

 Salivary amylase
 Lingual lipase
 Gastric lipase

 Emulsification
 Emulsion droplets
 Micelles
  Chylomicrons
 Lipoprotein
 Apolipoprotein
 Lipoprotein lipase
The following are questions or sets of questions that cover topics likely to be on the exam. You
should be able to answer these in fair detail. Most of these incorporate terms listed above, so
there is a bit of redundancy.

1. Describe the primary functions of the digestive system. Which components are involved
in propulsion, chemical digestion, mechanical digestion, and absorption?
2. Which components of the digestive system make up the alimentary canal? Which make
up the gastrointestinal tract? Which are considered accessory digestive organs?
3. Which components of the GI tract contain skeletal/striated muscle and which contain
smooth muscle?
4. What are the components of saliva? What sorts of enzymes does saliva contain?
5. What are the functions of the intrinsic and extrinsic tongue muscles? (You don’t need to
know the names of all these)
6. How do the pharyngeal constrictor muscles function in deglutition? Are these voluntary
skeletal (striated) muscle or involuntary smooth muscle?
7. Describe the four concentric layers of the GI tract. What function(s) does each serve?
Which organ has three layers for the muscularis externa rather than two?
8. Describe the structure of the esophagus. Is there skeletal/striated muscle, smooth, or
both? How do the circular and longitudinal muscle fibers function in deglutition?
9. Describe the formation of the mesenteries of digestive organs, as well as their functions.
10. Describe the different gastric gland cells, their secretory products, and their functions.
Which products are exocrine and which are (entero)endocrine?
11. What are the components of gastric juice? What sorts of enzymes does it contain?
12. Describe the processes that regulate HCl secretion in the stomach. How do parietal cells
produce HCl?
13. In line with the above question, describe the cephalic phase of gastric function, as well
as the gastric phase and intestinal phase.
14. What are enterogastrones, where are they secreted, what stimulates their secretion, and
what are their functions?
15. What kinds of secretions are received by the duodenum through the major duodenal
papilla?
16. Describe the functions of the plicae circularis, villi, and microvilli.
17. What structures are found within each intestinal villus? What do they absorb?
18. What sorts of enzymes are produced by the small intestine?
19. Describe the function of enterokinase.
20. Describe the structure and functions of intestinal crypts.
21. How do the enteric nervous system, sympathetic nervous system, and parasympathetic
nervous system work together to regulate digestive function?
22. How are peristalsis and segmentation in the large intestine different from the small
intestine. How do the haustra and tenia coli function in this regard?
23. What are the purported functions of the appendix?
24. What are the primary functions of large intestine microflora? How are microflora
involved in fluid absorption in the large intestine?
25. Describe the primary functions of the liver.
26. Describe the process by which the pancreas and liver regulate blood glucose.
27. How does the liver detoxify substances and help the body rid itself of them?
28. What are the components of bile? What cells synthesize bile and where is it stored
before being released into the duodenum.
29. Describe the path of blood flow and bile flow through the sinusoids of liver lobules.
What sorts of processes occur along the way?
30. Describe enterohepatic circulation, the process by which bile salts are “recycled” and
reused by the body.
31. What is bilirubin and how is it formed? How does the body get rid of bilirubin.
32. What are the components of the pancreatic juice? Which components are produced by
the acinar cells? Which is produced by the acinar ducts?
33. What are zygomens? Why are some pancreatic enzymes produced by acinar cells
secreted in zygomen form? How are these enzymes activated when they reach the
duodenum?
34. What stimulates the release of CCK and secretin? What do these do? (see question 13)
35. Describe the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates.
36. Describe the digestion and absorption of proteins. What is the role of HCl and trypsin?
37. Describe the digestion and absorption of triglycerides.
38. Compare and contrast HDL and LDL. How are LDLs involved in arterial plaque
formation and atherosclerosis?