Summary of Digestive Hormones

• Gastrin
• stomach, gastric & ileocecal sphincters
• Gastric inhibitory peptide--GIP
• stomach & pancreas
• Secretin
• pancreas, liver & stomach
• Cholecystokinin--CCK
• pancreas, gallbladder, sphincter of Oddi, & stomach
Anatomy of the Small Intestine
• 20 feet long----1 inch in diameter
• Large surface area for majority of absorption
• 3 parts
• duodenum---10 inches
• jejunum---8 feet
• ileum---12 feet
• ends at ileocecal valve
 Histology of the Small
Intestine
• Structures that increase surface area
• plica circularis
• permanent ½ inch tall folds that contain part of submucosal layer
• not found in lower ileum
• can not stretch out like rugae in stomach
• villi
• 1 Millimeter tall
• Core is lamina propria of mucosal layer
• Contains vascular capillaries and lacteals(lymphatic capillaries)
• microvilli
• cell surface feature known as brush border
Small Intestine Functions

•Enzymatic digestion of ingested nutrients.

•Absorption of water, electrolytes and the products of

nutrient digestion.

•Secretion of mucus and digestive juices.

•Exclusion of indigestible material and its delivery into

the colon.
Functions of Microvilli
• Absorption and digestion
• Digestive enzymes found at cell surface on
microvilli
• Digestion occurs at cell surfaces
• Significant cell division within intestinal glands
produces new cells that move up
• Once out of the way---rupturing and releasing their
digestive enzymes & proteins
Cells of Intestinal Glands

• Absorptive cell
• Goblet cell
• Enteroendocrine
• secretin
• cholecystokinin
• gastric inhibitory
peptide
• Paneth cells
• secretes lysozyme
 Goblet Cells of GI
epithelium

Unicellular glands that

are part of simple
columnar epithelium
Roles of Intestinal Juice & Brush-Border
Enzymes
• Submucosal layer has duodenal glands
• secretes alkaline mucus
• Mucosal layer contains intestinal glands = Crypts of
Lieberkuhn(deep to surface)
• secretes intestinal juice
• 1-2 qt./day------ at pH 7.6
• brush border enzymes
• paneth cells secrete lysozyme kills bacteria
Mechanical Digestion in the Small
Intestine

• Weak peristalsis in comparison

to the stomach---chyme
remains for 3 to 5 hours
• Segmentation---local mixing of
chyme with intestinal juices---
sloshing back & forth
Chemical Digestion in Small
Intestine
• Groups enzymes
• Need to trace breakdown of nutrients
• carbohydrates
• proteins
• lipids
Digestion of Carbohydrates
• Mouth---salivary amylase
• Esophagus & stomach---nothing happens
• Duodenum----pancreatic amylase
• Brush border enzymes (maltase, sucrase & lactose)
act on disaccharides
• produces monosaccharides--fructose, glucose &
galactose
• lactose intolerance (no enzyme; bacteria ferment
sugar)--gas & diarrhea
Lactose Intolerance
• Mucosal cells of small intestine fail to produce
lactase
• essential for digestion of lactose sugar in milk
• undigested lactose retains fluid in the feces
• bacterial fermentation produces gases
• Symptoms
• diarrhea, gas, bloating & abdominal cramps
• Dietary supplements are helpful
Digestion of Proteins
• Stomach
• HCl denatures or unfolds proteins
• pepsin turns proteins into peptides
• Pancreas
• digestive enzymes---split peptide bonds between
different amino acids
• brush border enzymes-----aminopeptidase or
dipeptidase------split off amino acid at amino end of
molecule or split dipeptide
Digestion of Lipids
• Mouth----lingual lipase
• Small intestine
• emulsification by bile
• pancreatic lipase---splits into fatty acids &
monoglyceride
• no enzymes in brush border
Digestion of Nucleic Acids
• Pancreatic juice contains 2 nucleases
• ribonuclease which digests RNA
• deoxyribonuclease which digests DNA
• Nucleotides produced are further digested by
brush border enzymes (nucleosidease and
phosphatase)
• pentose, phosphate & nitrogenous bases
• Absorbed by active transport
Regulation of Secretion &
Motility
• Enteric reflexes that respond to presence of chyme
• increase intestinal motility
• VIP (vasoactive intestinal polypeptide) stimulates the
production of intestinal juice
• segmentation depends on distention which sends
impulses to the enteric plexus & CNS
• distention produces more vigorous peristalsis
• 10 cm per second
• Sympathetic impulses decrease motility
Absorption in Small Intestine
Where will the absorbed nutrients
go?
 Absorption of
Monosaccharides
• Absorption into epithelial cell
• glucose & galactose----sodium symporter(active transport)
• fructose-----facilitated diffusion
• Movement out of epithelial cell into bloodstream
• by facilitated diffusion
Absorption of Amino Acids &
Dipeptides
• Absorption into epithelial cell
• active transport with Na+ or H+ ions (symporters)
• Movement out of epithelial cell into blood
• diffusion
 Absorption of Lipids
• Small fatty acids enter cells & then blood by simple diffusion
• Larger lipids exist only within micelles (bile salts coating)
• Lipids enter cells by simple diffusion leaving bile salts behind in gut
• Bile salts reabsorbed into blood & reformed into bile in the liver
• Fat-soluble vitamins are enter cells since were within micelles
 Absorption of Lipids (2)
• Inside epithelial cells fats are rebuilt and coated with
protein to form chylomicrons
• Chylomicrons leave intestinal cells by exocytosis into a lacteal
• travel in lymphatic system to reach veins near the heart
• removed from the blood by the liver and fat tissue
Absorption of Electrolytes
• Sources of electrolytes
• GI secretions & ingested foods and liquids
• Enter epithelial cells by diffusion & secondary active
transport
• sodium & potassium move = Na+/K+ pumps (active transport)
• chloride, iodide and nitrate = passively follow
• iron, magnesium & phosphate ions = active transport
• Intestinal Ca+ absorption requires vitamin D & parathyroid
hormone
Absorption of Vitamins
• Fat-soluble vitamins
• travel in micelles & are absorbed by simple diffusion
• Water-soluble vitamins
• absorbed by diffusion
• B12 combines with intrinsic factor before it is
transported into the cells
• receptor mediated endocytosis
Absorption of Water
• 9 liters of fluid dumped
into GI tract each day
• Small intestine reabsorbs
8 liters
• Large intestine reabsorbs
90% of that last liter
• Absorption is by osmosis
through cell walls into
vascular capillaries inside
villi