Download the digestive system

THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is the digestive system, sometimes called
the alimentary canal. The organs that make up the digestive system
function to take in, or ingest food, breakdown the food so nutrients can be
absorbed into the body, and expel the leftover waste. The digestive organs
include the mouth, oesophagus, stomach and intestines. Accessory organs,
including the liver, gallbladder and pancreas, secrete chemicals to help
breakdown food.
Mouth
The mouth, or oral cavity, and is where food is chewed (or masticated) and
moistened. The mouth contains the tongue, the teeth, the hard and soft
palate and the uvula, a u-shaped process that hangs at the back of the mouth
and swings upward when swallowing to stop food from entering the nasal
cavity.
Word root
Fasc
Ganth
Odont
Phas, phasia
Stomat
Or
Chiel
Gingiv
Glos
Lingu
Palat
Sial
Combining form
Fasci/o
Ganth/o, gnathic
Odont/o
Stomat/o
Or/o
Chiel/o
Gingiv/o
Gloss/o
Lingu/o
Palat/o
Sial/o
Meaning
face
jaw
tooth
speech
mouth
mouth
lip
gums
tongue
tongue
palate
saliva
Oesophagus
The oesophagus is the tube connecting the pharynx to the stomach. Food
moves along it in a wavelike motion called peristalsis. Peristalsis continues
through the stomach and the intestines break down food into smaller and
smaller pieces.
Word Root
Oesophag
Combining Form
Oesophag/o
Meaning
Oesophagus or gullet
Stomach
The stomach is a hollow organ that lies under the diaphragm. Gastric acids in
the stomach break down food into a watery material that can be absorbed by
the small intestine. The stomach looks like a bag with two sphincters - ringlike
muscular structures – at either end. The cardiac sphincter, nearest to the
Digestive System 2010
heart, stops food from regurgitating into the oesophagus. The pyloric
sphincter controls the passage of food flowing into the small intestine.
Word Root
Gastr
Pylor
Combining Form
Gastr/o
Pylor/o
Meaning
Stomach
Pylorus
NOTE
-stomy
means mouth or opening. It is also used to refer to an operation
to form an opening between two parts. A stoma can be
temporary or permanent.
gram
refers to a tracing. Usually refers to an x-ray, paper recording or
to a trace on a screen
graphy
refers to the technique or process of making a recording
graph
instrument that carries out the recording
When the two roots gastr/o and enter/o are joined the combining
vowel is retained.
Small intestine
The small intestine is a coiled tube approximately 6 metres in length.
Nutrients from the food broken down in the stomach are absorbed into the
body through the walls of the small intestine. The small intestine has three
major sections:
the duodenum
- which connects to the pyloric end of the stomach
the jejunum
- middle section
the ileum
- the end section that connects to the large intestine
Word Root
Enter
Duoden
Jejun
Ile
Combining Form
Enter/o
Duoden/o
Jejun/o
Ile/o
Meaning
Intestine
First 30cm of the small intestine
Refers to the jejunum
Lower three fifths of the small intestine
Large intestine
The large intestine, or large bowel, is much shorter than the small intestine,
being only 1.5 metres in length. In the large bowel the waste material from
the digested food in carried. As it moves through the large bowel, water is
absorbed back into the body and the waste material becomes solid.
Digestive System 2010
The large intestine has three major sections:
1
the caecum - holding the appendix
2.
the colon - which has four parts,




3
the ascending (upward) colon,
the transverse (across) colon,
the descending (downward) colon, and
the sigmoid colon.
the rectum - where the waste is held before being expelled through the
anus
Word Root
Caec
Appendic
Col
Combining
Form
Caec/o
Appendic/o
Col/o, colon/o
Sigm
Rect
Proct
Peritone
Sigmoid/o
Rect/o
Proct/o
Peritone/o
Meaning
A blindly ending pouch
Appendage
Large bowel extending from the caecum to
rectum
Sigmoid colon
Last part of large intestine
Used to mean rectum or anus
Peritoneum,
membrane
that
covers
abdominal organs
Liver
The liver is located in the RUQ of the abdomen, partially protected by the rib
cage. It is the largest gland in the body. It secretes an enzyme called bile.
Bile breaks down fatty material so it can be absorbed into the body.
Word Root
Hepat
Chol
Combining Form
Hepat/o
Chol/e
Meaning
Liver
Bile
The Gallbladder
The bile made by the liver is stored in a small sac, or bladder, on the under
side of the liver. When the bile is needed for digestion, the gallbladder
releases it into the duodenum through a tube called the common bile duct.
Word Root
Cyst
Combining Form
Cyst/o
Choledoch
Lapar
Choledoch/o
Lapar/o
Meaning
Bladder, combined with chole it
refers to the gall bladder
Common bile duct
Soft part between the ribs and hips
Digestive System 2010
Pancreas
The pancreas is a gland that sits posterior to the stomach. Among its many
functions, the pancrease produces and secretes insulin. Insulin is a hormone
that is released when blood glucose levels become raised.
Word Root
Pancreat
Combining Form
Pancreat/o
Meaning
Pancreas
ACTIVITY 1
Look at the diagram of the digestive system and answer the following
questions:
1. Is the stomach inferior or superior to the oesophagus?
2. If the mouth is the beginning of the digestive system, is the
oesophagus distal or proximal to the pharynx?
3. How does food move down the oesophagus and through the intestine?
4. Which gland secretes insulin?
5. Where is bile stored?
6. Put the following organs in order from the beginning (mouth) to the end
(anus) of the digestive system: jejunum, duodenum, oesophagus,
uvula, caecum, stomach, colon, pylorus
Mouth
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Anus
Digestive System 2010
ACTIVITY 2
Build words which mean
To
be
able
to
speak
two
languages
Inflammation of the oesophagus
Instrument to view the stomach
Surgical
opening
into
the
stomach
and
intestine
Study
of
the
intestine
Removal of the jejunum
Surgical opening into the ileum
Inflammation of the appendix
Disease of the colon
Instrument to view the rectum
Pain in the anus
Enlargement of the liver
Xray of the bile ducts
Process of viewing the abdomen
Related prefixes
dys
dyspepsia
hypo
hypoglossal
hyper
hyperemesis
Meaning
difficult
difficulty with digestion
below
below the tongue
above, excessive or
normal
excessive vomiting
Related suffixes
-pepsia
-ostomy
-otomy
Meaning
digestion
mouth or opening or a new surgical
opening
incision
more
than
Digestive System 2010
Medical term
buccal
emesis or emetic
enema
fistula
stom, stoma, or ostomy
anastomosis
retrograde
Meaning
pertaining to the cheek
vomit or vomiting
introduction of fluid into the rectum
abnormal opening between two organs
mouth or opening
joining of one organ to another
going backwards
Diseases and disorders of the digestive system
Disease/disorder Definition
Adhesion
A fibrous band or structure that abnormally holds two
parts together
Anorexia
Lack or loss of appetite
Ascites
The accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity
Cholecystitis
Inflammation of the gallbladder
Cholelithiasis
Stones in the gall bladder
Cirrhosis
Scarring of an organ particularly the liver
Colic
Acute abdominal pain
Diverticulitis
Inflammation of a diverticulum particularly in the colon
Diverticulum
An abnormal pouch or ulcer in the wall of a tube
particularly in the colon
Dysphagia
Difficulty in swallowing or talking
Enteritis
Inflammation of the small intestine
Hernia
Part of an organ pushing through a membrane or cavity
wall
Hepatomegaly
Enlargement of the liver
Oesophagitis
Inflammation of the oesophagus
Gastritis
Inflammation of the stomach
Haemoptysis
Vomiting of blood
Hepatitis
Inflammation of the liver
Nausea
The sensation of sickness
Ulcer
A breakdown in mucous membrane
Duodenal ulcer
An ulcer in the duodenum
Gastric ulcer
A stomach ulcer
Peptic ulcer
An ulcer in either the stomach or duodenum
Spasm
Cramp
Diarrhoea
Frequent bowel action
Malaena
Black faeces
Pruritis ani
Itching around anus
Flatus
Gas in or from colon
Occult blood
Hidden blood, often in faeces
Anorexia
Loss of appetite
Bulimia
Excessive appetite
Dyspepsia
Difficulty with digestion
Digestive System 2010
Eructation
Polyphagia
Regurgitation
Belching
Excessive food intake
Backflow of gastric contents into mouth
ACTIVITY 3
Read the following paragraph and rewrite it using lay terms
A 33 year old female presented with acute abdominal pain and a seven-day
history of anorexia, nausea and vomiting.
On examination, there was
moderate tenderness in the RLQ, no hepatomegaly, and no signs of
gastroenteritis. The patient was admitted to hospital and an appendectomy
was performed. Histopathology of the appendix showed slight inflammation.
The patient made a rapid recovery and was discharged yesterday.
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Instruments to view various parts of the digestive system
Gastroscope
Colonoscope
Gastroenteroscope
Proctoscope
Sigmoidoscope
Laparoscope
Digestive System 2010