Physiology Spring Lecture 22 Study Guide: Chapter 16

The Digestive System 1 (p 565 - 597)

1. What is the primary function of the gastrointestinal system? (p. 566)

The primary function of the gastrointestinal system is to transfer nutrients, water, and
electrolytes from the food we eat to the body’s internal environment.
2. What are the four basic digestive processes? (p. 566)
1) Motility: muscular contractions that mix and move forward the contents within the
tract.
2) Secretion: consists of water, electrolytes, and specific organic constituents
important in the digestive process, such as enzymes, bile salts, or mucus.
3) Digestion: chemically break down structurally complex foodstuff of the diet into
smaller, absorbable units.
4) Absorption: small absorbable units that result from digestion, along with water,
vitamins, and electrolytes, are transferred from the digestive tract lumen into the blood
or lymph.
3. How are the following macronutrients broken down in the process of digestion: (p. 566)
Chemical name Common name/description examples/what it is found in

Monosaccharides “one-sugar” molecules Examples: Glucose, fructose,

galactose
Polysaccharide “many-sugar” molecules Example: Starch- contains
amylose and amylopectin
Glycogen Highly branched polysaccharide Found in: meat
storage form of glucose in
muscle
Indigestible dietary Insoluble fiber Found in: plant walls
polysaccharides Example: cellulose
Indigestible dietary Soluble fiber Found in: plant walls
polysaccharides Example: pectin

4. List the accessory digestive organs and their function (p. 569)
1. Salivary Glands: Lie outside the oral cavity and discharge saliva through short ducts into the
mouth.
2. Exocrine Pancreas: secrete digestive juices into the digestive tract lumen on appropriate neural
or hormonal stimulation.
3. Biliary system: composed of the liver and gallbladder; secretes bile into the duodenal lumen.
5. Why are these organs considered exocrine organs? (p. 569)
These organs are considered exocrine organs because they lie outside the digestive tract and
empty their secretions through ducts into the digestive tract lumen.
6. List the organs in the digestive tract in the order that nutrients would naturally flow
through (p. 570)
1. Mouth
2. Pharynx
3. esophagus
4. stomach
5. small intestine
6. large intestine
 7. anus
7. (p.570)
Layers of the Components Function Contains
digestive tract

Mucosa Mucous Inner epithelial layer Exocrine gland cells for the secretion of
membrane that serves as a digestive juices and endocrine gland
protective surface cells for the secretion of blood Bourne
GI hormones epithelial cells specialized
for absorbing nutrients
Lamina Propria Thin middle layer of Houses the gut-associated
connective tissue on lymphoid tissue (GALT), which is
which the epithelium important in defense against
rests disease-causing intestinal bacteria
Muscularis Sparse outermost layer N/A
mucosa of smooth muscle
Submucosa (left intentionally Thick layer of Contains the larger blood and lymph
blank) connective tissue that vessels, both of which send branches
provides the digestive inwards to the mucosal layer and
outward to the surrounding thick muscle
tract with distensibility
layer.
and elasticity
Also, contains a nerve network known
as submucous plexus.
Muscularis Externa (left intentionally Major smooth muscle Consists of two layers: an inner circular
blank) coat of the digestive layer and an outer longitudinal layer.
tube Also contains a nerve network known as
myenteric plexus.

Inner circular Run circularly around Contraction of these fibers

layer the tube. decreases the diameter of the tube
Constricts the tube at
the point of
contraction.
Outer Shortens the tube Contraction of these fibers
longitudinal layer decreases the length of the tube

Serosa Covers the Secretes watery, Continuous with the mesentery,

digestive tract slippery fluid (serous which suspends the digestive
fluid) that lubricates organs from the inner wall of the
and prevents friction abdominal cavity.
between the digestive
organs and the
surrounding viscera
8. What are the fours ways the digestive function is regulate? (p.571, 572)
Regulatory mode Type of activity Function

Autonomous smooth muscle Slow-wave potentials; Rhythmic, wavelike fluctuations in

function Also referred to as basic membrane potential that cyclically
electrical rhythm (BER) bring the membrane closer to or
farther from threshold potential.
Interstitial cells of Cajal These pacemakers generate the
slow-wave potentials that propagate
 via gap junctions to adjacent smooth
muscle cells.
Intrinsic nerve plexus Submucosal plexus Two major nerve fiber networks that
lie entirely within the digestive tract
Myenteric plexus wall and run its entire length. Unlike
any other body system, the digestive
tract has its own intramural nervous
system, which contains as many
neurons as the spinal cord and
endows the tract with a considerable
degree of self-regulation.

Extrinsic nerves (left intentionally blank) Nerve fibers from both branches of
the autonomic nervous system that
originate outside the
digestive tract
GI hormones Produced by special endocrine cells (left intentionally blank)
tucked within the mucosa of certain
regions of the GI tract
9. What are the three types of sensory receptors that respond to local changes in the GI tract (p.
572)
1. Chemoreceptors: sensitive to chemical components within the lumen
2. Mechanoreceptors: sensitive to stretch or tension within the wall
3. Osmoreceptors: sensitive to the osmolarity of the luminal contents
10. Where is the entry to the digestive tract? (p. 573)
The mouth, or the oral cavity, is the entrance to the digestive tract.
11. What is the palate and what is its function? (p. 573)
The palate forms the arched roof of the oral cavity and its function is to separate the mouth from
the nasal passages.
12. What is the uvula and what is its function? (p. 573)
The uvula is a dangling projection which hangs from the palate in the rear of the throat and plays
an important role in sealing off the nasal passages during swallowing.
13. What is the tongue and what is its function? (p. 574)
The tongue forms the floor of the oral cavity and is composed of voluntarily controlled skeletal
muscle. The function of tongue is to guide the food while chewing and swallowing in the mouth.
14. What is the first step in the digestive process? (p. 574)
The first step in the digestive process is mastication, simply known as chewing, the mouth motility
that involves the slicing, tearing, grinding, and mixing of the food that is ingested by the teeth.
15. What is the hardest structure in the body? (p. 574)
The hardest structure in the body is the covering of the exposed part of the tooth, which is known
as the enamel.
16. What are the functions of chewing? (p. 574)
1. Break down the food into smaller pieces to make it easier to swallow and to increase the food
surface area so that the salivary enzymes can act on it easily.
2. mix food with saliva
3. expose food to the taste buds
17. What are the functions of saliva? (p. 575)
1. The first function is to begin the process digestion of starches by using the enzyme
salivary amylase. The products of this process are maltose and α-limit dextrins.
2. It facilitates swallowing by making the food moist and holding them together. Mucus is
a thick and slippery substance that lubricates the food.
3. Antibacterial action: (1) lysozyme destroys certain bacteria by breaking down their cell
walls (2) salivary IgA antibodies (3) salivary lactoferrin binds to iron that bacteria need
to multiply (4) rinses away anything that may be a food source for bacteria
4. Serves as a solvent for molecules that stimulate taste buds. Saliva lets you taste the
next bite of food by removing the previous bite’s food particles.
 5. Makes the mouth and lips moist to help you talk
6. Keeps the mouth and teeth clean by flushing out any food residues, foreign particles,
and old epithelial cells from the oral mucosa.
7. It has bicarbonate buffers, which neutralize acids in food and acids produced by
bacteria in the mouth.
18. How does the autonomic nervous system effect saliva production? (p. 575)
Autonomic nerves help the salivary center control the salivary output. Sympathetic and
parasympathetic stimulate salivary secretion but the quantity and characteristic differ.
19. Fill in the figure on swallowing: (p. 577)

20. Define the process of swallowing and name the two phases: (p. 576)
Swallowing is the process of moving the food from the mouth into the stomach through the
esophagus. Two phases of swallowing are oropharyngeal stage and esophageal stage.
21. What is the sphincter located at the upper esophagus called? (p. 576)
The sphincter located at the upper esophagus is called the pharyngoesophageal sphincter.
22. What is the sphincter located at the place where the esophagus meets the stomach
called? (p. 576)
The sphincter located at the place where the esophagus meets the stomach is called the
gastroesophageal sphincter.
23. Fill in the figure on the anatomy of the stomach: (p. 578)
24. What are the three main functions of the stomach? (p. 578)
1. It stores the ingested food until it is ready to be sent into the small intestine so that it
can be digested and absorbed properly, and the small intestine doesn’t get overloaded.
2. Produced hydrochloric acid and enzymes that help start the digestion of protein.
3. Produced chyme, which is a thick liquid mixture of pulverized ingested food and gastric
secretions made from the mixing movements of the stomach.
25. What are the four aspects of gastric motility? (p. 579)
1. filling
2. storage
3. mixing
 4. emptying
26. Fill in the table on the facts regulating gastric motility and emptying (p. 580)

27. Fill in the table on stomach mucosa and the gastric glands (p. 583)
Type of secretory cell Product secreted Stimuli for secretion Functions of secretary
product

Exocrine cells:

Mucous cells Alkaline mucus Mechanical Protects mucosa

stimulation by against mechanical,
contents pepsin, and acid injury
 Chief cells Pepsinogen ACh, gastrin Begins digestion of
protein when activated

Parietal cells Hydrochloric acid ACh, gastrin, histamine Breaks down

connective tissue, kills
microorganisms,
denatures proteins,
activates pepsinogen

Intrinsic factor (left intentionally blank) Facilitates the

absorption of vitamin
B12

Endocrine/paracrine
cells

Enterochromaffin-like Histamine ACh, gastrin Stimulates parietal

(ECL) cells cells

G cells Gastrin Protein products, ACh Stimulates parietal

chief, and ECL cells

D cells Somatostatin Acid Inhibits parietal, G,

and ECL cells

28. Fill in the diagram on the stimulation of gastric secretion (p 586, Table 16-4)

Phase Stimuli Excitatory mechanism for enhancing gastric secretion

29. Fill in the diagram on the inhibition of gastric secretion (p 587, Table 16-5)

Region Stimuli Inhibitory mechanism for gastric secretion

30. How is the tissue of the stomach itself protected from its own secretions? (p. 587)
Stomach contains acid without injuring itself is because of the gastric mucosal barrier.
Every 3 days, these protective mechanisms are enhanced by replacing the entire lining
of the stomach.
31. What is the pancreas and what are its two main functions? (p. 590)
The pancreas is an elongated gland and lies behind and below the stomach, above the
first loop of the duodenum.
32. List the pancreatic exocrine secretions and their function (p. 590)
Exocrine secretion Inactive form Active form (what Substrate
activates it)

Proteolytic enzymes Trypsinogen Trypsin Peptide linkages

(enteropeptidase)

Chymotrypsinogen Chymotrypsin (trypsin) Peptide linkages

Procarboxypeptidase Carboxypeptidase Peptide linkages

(trypsin)

Pancreatic amylase (this section left intentionally blank) Carbohydrates

Pancreatic lipase Dietary triglycerides

Aqueous alkaline Neutralizing acidic

secretion chyme and making a
slightly alkaline
environment

33. Fill in the figure on the hormonal control of pancreatic exocrine secretion: (p. 592)
 (a) Control of pancreatic aqueous the destruction of worn-out red blood
NaHCO3 - secretion cells)
10. Removing bacteria and worn-out
34. List the functions of the liver: (p. 593) red blood cells
1. Secreting of bile salts
2. Metabolic processing of carbohydrat
proteins, and lipids after their absorptio
from the digestive tract
3. Body wastes, hormones, drugs and
other foreign compounds get detoxified
degraded
4. Synthesizing plasma proteins
5. Storing glycogen, fats, iron, copper,
and many vitamins
6. Activating vitamin D, which the liver
does in conjunction with the kidneys
7. Secreting the hormones
thrombopoietin, hepcidin, and
insulin-like growth factor-I
8. Producing acute phase proteins
important in inflammation
9. Excreting cholesterol and bilirubin
(a breakdown product derived from
35. Fill in the figure on the blood flow to the liver: (p. 593)

The liver receives blood from two

sources:
1a: Arterial blood: delivered by the
hepatic artery
1b: Venous blood draining the digestive
tract is carried by the hepatic portal vein
to the liver, which processes and stores
newly absorbed nutrients
2: hepatic vein takes the blood out of the
liver

36. What is the common bile duct and what is its purpose? (p. 594)
The common bile duct transports the bile from the liver to the duodenum and id
formed when the bile ducts from various lobules come together.
37. Fill in the figure on the anatomy of the liver: (p. 594)

38. What is the gall bladder and what is its function? (p. 595)
Gallbladder is a small, saclike structure that is tucked under the liver but it is not
connected to the liver. The function of the gallbladder is to store and concentrate
bile between meals.
39. What are bile salts and what are their function, how do they contribute to dietary
fat digestion? (p. 595)
Bile salts are derived from cholesterol, secreted into the bile and entered into the
duodenum. Through the activity of these bile salts, bile is important for digestion
and absorption of fats. They aid fat digestion through emulsification and help
absorb fat by helping form micelles.
40. Fill in the figure in the enterohepatic circulation of bile salts