Inflammation of the Bowel Flashcards
(47 cards)
What are the three parts of the small intestine?
Duodenum, jejunum, ileum.
What are the main functions of the small intestine?
Enzymatic digestion, absorption of nutrients, immunological defense.
What type of epithelium lines the small intestine?
Columnar epithelium with goblet cells and enterocytes.
What is the function of goblet cells in the small intestine?
Secrete mucus to protect and lubricate the intestinal lining.
What do enterocytes do?
Absorb nutrients.
Where are endocrine cells located in the small intestine and what do they do?
Amongst columnar epithelial cells and in crypts; they secrete gut hormones.
What are Paneth cells and where are they found?
Cells at the base of crypts containing eosinophilic, lysozyme-rich granules, possibly regulating cell proliferation and differentiation.
What is the significance of intraepithelial lymphocytes in the small intestine?
They provide immune defense; normally fewer than 20 per 100 enterocytes.
What are Brunner’s glands and where are they located?
Mucus-secreting glands in the duodenum.
What are Peyer’s patches?
Aggregates of lymphoid tissue in the small intestine involved in immune surveillance.
What are the main functions of the large intestine?
Storage and elimination of food residues, maintaining fluid/electrolyte balance, bacterial degradation of nutrients.
What is the general structure of the large intestine surface?
Smooth surface with regular, tubular crypts.
Which cells dominate the large intestine epithelium?
Goblet cells and absorptive colonocytes.
What is the role of goblet cells in the large intestine?
Secrete mucus for lubrication.
Where are Paneth cells found in the large intestine?
In the right colon.
What is the lamina propria composed of?
Fibroblasts, myofibroblasts, inflammatory cells.
What is the muscularis mucosae?
A thin muscle layer traversed by vessels, lymphatics, and nerves.
What is the function of Meissner’s plexus?
Regulates gut motility via interstitial cells of Cajal and ganglia.
What is Auerbach’s plexus and where is it found?
Nerve plexus in the muscularis propria regulating peristalsis.
What are the major consequences of inflammation in the bowel?
Abdominal symptoms, diarrhea, nutritional deficiency, features of general ill health, features secondary to cause.
What are common abdominal symptoms of bowel inflammation?
Change in bowel habit, pain, wind, distension.
What factors define diarrhoea?
Increased stool frequency, volume, or liquidity.
What is the definition of diarrhoea?
An intestinal disorder characterized by abnormal frequency and liquidity of faecal evacuations.
How is diarrhoea classified?
Small vs large bowel; acute vs chronic (≥4 weeks).
