Intro to GI Flashcards
GI tract
- consists of s series of hollow tubes stretching from mouth to anus
- with accessory exocrine glands and organ functions to promote digestion, absorption, and removal of waste products
- motility
- secretion
- absorption
- excretion
- digestion
ingestion of food
and smell
- initiate the process through an integrated series of endocrine, paracrine, and neural responses
- blood flow increases from vasodilators
- absorbed nutrients initially circulate through liver to be processed before entering systemic circulation
- sedentary adult needs 30kcal/ kg per day
upper esophageal sphincter
- highest resting pressure
- prevents air from entering the esophagus
- striated muscle
- under control of swallowing center in medulla
- relaxes during swallowing
lower esophageal sphincter
- separates esophagus and stomach
- smooth muscle that relaxes during swallowing
- coordinates passage of food into the stomach
- prevents reflux
pyloric sphincter
- separates stomach from duodenum
- regulation of gastric emptying and prevention of duodenal reflux
- reflux can lead to gastritis, ulcer formation, and risk of perf
ileocecal sphincter
- valve like
- ileum and cecum
- prevents backflux into ileum
- IBS from overgrowth
internal and external sphincters
-control elimination of waste
fluid shifts
- 7-9L of fluids secreted per day but absorb most of it to maintain balance
- pH changes needed to promote functions
- ingest 2 L
- only 100-200 ml excreted in feces
parietal/oxyntic cells
- in oxyntic glands
- acidify contents of stomach
- promote digestion
- breakdown of ingested bacteria and antigens
chyme
- pH reaches 1-2
- secretion of HCO3 into the lumen of the duodenum by the exocrine pancreas neutralizes the acidic chyme delivered to it
enteric nervous system
- branch of ANS
- myenteric plexus (motility), b/n longitudinal and circular layers
- submucosal (secretory) b/n circular and submucosal
myenteric plexus
- between longitudinal and circular muscle
- proximal end of esophagus to rectum
- increases tone in gut
- rhythmic/phasic contractions and velocity of conduction of excitatory waves
submucosal plexus
- between circular and submucosal
- secretions
- absorption and contraction
enteric nervous system 2
- can function independently
- responds to input from local environment (chemo, osmo, mechanoreceptors)
- even in absence of extrinsic innervation
- processing sensory signals is primary function
- sensory neurons, interneurons, and motor neurons intrinsic to END connect for efficient bidirectional flow of info
- musculomotor and secretomotor neurons can alter smooth muscle activity, secretion, absorption of fluid or electrolytes by epithelium
- can alter endocrine cells, submucosal blood vessels
- modulated by ANS
intrinsic and extrinsic connections in ENS
- multiple pre programmed responses, initiated by sensory inputs
- afferent neurons monitor changes in luminal activity
- they activate interneurons, which relay signals that activate efferent secretomotor neurons
- efferent neurons stimulate or inhibit a range of effector cells, including blood vessels, smooth muscle cells, epi cells, enteric endocrine cells
- ANS modifies these responses b/c sensory neurons relay info to CNS and can trigger vagovagal reflexes
mechanoreceptors
- stretch
- stimulate contractions
chemoreceptors
- chyme
- regulate motility and secretion of buffers to control luminal pH during influx of acidic chyme into duodenum
osmoreceptors
- osmolarity of chyme
- only a one cell barrier between chyme and lumen of small intestine and the capillaries
- hypertonic chyme can exert an osmotic force, pull fluid out of the cell
para pre gang fibers
- vagal and pelvic nerves
- terminate on post gang cholinergic or peptidergic neurons in plexi
- PNS activation leads to increased motility, relaxation of sphincters, enhanced secretions
vagovagal reflexes
- prominent in coordinating GI function
- long reflexes
- afferent and efferent impulses are carried by neurons in mixed vagus nerve
PNS action
- increases motility
- vagus is proximal 2/3
- pelvic bottom 1/3
- Ach is major nt
- some have peptides
- increases secretions and relaxes sphincters
- relaxes sphincter of Oddi (cephalic and gastric phases)
SNS action
- via post gang from celiac plexus, hypogastric, superior and inferior mesenteric ganglia
- norepi is major nt
- relaxes gut wall and reduces contractions and contracts sphincters
- diverts blood flow from GI tract
cephalic phase
- salivation on seeing, smelling, tasting food
- facial, and IX
cephalic and gastric phases
- acid production in gastric acid secretion
- pancreatic enzyme secretion
- X