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Digestive (GI) System
What are the two kinds of digestion?
Mechanical
Chemical
Which layer of the digestive tube contains lots Submucosa
of elastic fibers, blood vessels, and lymphatic
vessels?
The hepatic portal system has two distinct
capillary beds separated by a portal vein. The
functions of these two capillary beds are
what?
The first picks up nutrients and the second
delivers these nutrients to liver cells.
What structure flaps over the glottis when we
swallow food?
Epiglottis
Which vitamin requires intrinsic factor in
order to be absorbed?
Vitamin B12
What are the three main characteristic of the
large intestine?
1) It absorbs much of the water and salts
2) It contains the ascending, transverse,
and descending colon.
3) It contains abundant bacteria.
What are the four main characteristics of the
small intestine?
It is the site of nutrient absorption
It breaks down fats, proteins, and
carbohydrates
Breakdown products of fats enter its lacteals.
Its walls secrete most of the digestive
enzymes that are active in its lumen.
Where does food first encounter proteinsplitting enzymes?
Stomach
What is the function of the gallbladder?
Storage (not secretion!) of bile
When the acidic contents of the stomach
enter the normally alkaline duodenum, what
hormone is released that causes the pancreas
to secrete bicarbonate?
Secretin
What is the semi-fluid paste called that is a
result of the food in the stomach being
repeatedly squeezed and mixed with
gastric juice?
What are four characteristics of the
duodenum?
Chyme
1) It receives chyme from the stomach.
2) It is within the body cavity with the ileum
or jejunum (not retroperitoneal).
3) It is shorter than either the ileum or
jejunum.
4) It is the site of action of liver and pancreas
secretions.
What are the five the primary functions of the 1. Store Food, so it can be slowly released
stomach?
into a small intestine.
2. Churns food into a paste (chyme) by
mechanical means
3. Kill bacteria.
4. Starts digestion of proteins.
5. Some absorption of water, alcohol
Does it dehydrate food materials before
passing them to the small intestine?
No
Does it store food for later use in the form of
fat?
No
What is the terminal portion of the small
intestine called?
Ileum
Which layer of the digestive tract is
responsible for the peristaltic waves that
propel materials from one portion to
another?
muscularis externa
Of the basic digestive processes, the one in
which nutrients enter capillaries is called
what?
Absorption
What is the only role of the levator ani muscle It lifts the anal canal superiorly around the
in defecation?
feces.
What is the correct sequence of layers in the
mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, serosa
wall of the alimentary canal, from internal to
external?
What is the digestive organ primarily
responsible for the absorption of water?
Large intestine
Why are bacteria are abundant in the large
intestines, but not in the small intestines or
the stomach?
Secretions of parietal cells kill bacteria in the
stomach, and the Ileocecal valve prevents
the bacteria in the large intestines from
migrating up into the small intestines.
What is the only function of the greater
omentum?
Stores fat
The epithelium that lines the stomach and
intestines is simple columnar. What are the
basic functions of this epithelium?
secretion and absorption
Digestion of what food type would be affected Lipids
the most if the bile—secreting liver were
severely damaged?
What are three functions of the liver?
1) detoxification of poisons
2) picking up and processing of nutrients from
the portal blood
3) storage of some vitamins
Does it produce digestive enzymes?
No
What cells secrete hydrochloric acid and
digestive enzymes which kill bacteria in the
stomach?
PARIETAL CELLS
What cells secrete an enzyme to digest
protein?
CHIEF CELLS
What is the function of all the goblet cells in
the stomach?
To make mucus to prevent the stomach from
digesting itself
Which cells secrete digestive enzymes in the
pancreas?
Acinar cells
Which region of the pancreas secretes
insulin?
Islets of Langerhans
What causes Crohn’s disease?
It is an autoimmune disorder