Prof. Dr. Sabah N.

Alwachi
 The Digestive System consists of the :
 oral cavity,
 esophagus,
 stomach,
 small intestine,
 large intestine,
 rectum & anal canal.
 The digestive system accessory
organs are:
- salivary glands,
- liver & gallbladder,
- pancreas
 The Tongue is a muscular organ located in the oral
cavity.

 The core of the tongue consists of :

connective tissue

skeletal muscle fibers.

 The S.M. Fibers are distributed in a way to allow

free movement for chewing, swallowing, and speaking .

 Papillae
 Are irregular epithelium on the dorsal
surface of the tongue.
 These are indented by the underlying
connective tissue called lamina
propria.
 All papillae on the tongue are covered
by stratified squamous epithelium
with partial (incomplete) keratinization
* In contrast, the epithelium on the ventral
surface of the tongue is smooth.
 Types of tongue papillae
 filiform,

 fungiform,

 circumvallate,

 foliate.
 Filiform Papillae
 The most numerous and smallest
papillae on the surface of the tongue .
 conical in shape.
 They cover the entire dorsal surface
of the tongue.
 Fungiform Papillae
 Are less numerous but larger, broader, and
taller than the filiform papillae.
 has a mushroom-like shape .
 Mostly in the anterior region of the tongue.
 are interspersed among the filiform
papillae.
 Circumvallate papillae are :
 much larger than the fungiform or filiform papillae.

 8 - 12 circumvallate papillae are located in the

posterior region of the tongue.

 These papillae are characterized by deep moats or furrows that

completely encircle them.

 serous (von Ebner’s) glands

- located in the connective tissue under the

Circumvallate papillae .

-They empty into the base of the furrows.

 Foliate papillae
 well developed in some animals
but are rudimentary or poorly
developed in humans.
 Taste Buds
 are barrel-shaped structures.
 Located in the epithelium of the
foliate and fungiform papillae, and
on the lateral sides of the
circumvallate papillae,
 within each there are elongated
neuro-epithelial (taste) cells .
 The cells that are receptors for taste
are closely associated with small
afferent nerve fibers .
 Esophagus
 is a soft tube approximately 10 inches
long.
 extends from the pharynx to the
stomach.
 is located posterior to the trachea and in
the mediastinum of the thoracic cavity.
 After descending in the thoracic
cavity, the esophagus penetrates
the muscular diaphragm.
 In the thoracic cavity it is
surrounded only by adventitia layer.
 .
 The wall of the esophagus is composed of
four layers (inner to outer):
 mucosa,
 submucosa,
 muscularis propria ,
 adventitia .

 This is a general structural organization of

the entire gastrointestinal tract.
 The mucosa is composed of three
components (inner to outer):
 a non-keratinizing stratified squamous
epithelium,
 a lamina propria
 muscularis muscosa.
 The submucosa is composed of :
 loose connective tissue,
 blood vessels,
 lymphatics, lymphoid follicles, the plexus of
nerves and submucosal glands.
 Internal histology of Esophagus
 The lumen is lined with moist, non
keratinized stratified squamous epithelium.

 When it is empty, the lumen exhibits

numerous but temporary longitudinal folds
of mucosa.
 Mucus glands are present in the
lamina propria and submucosal layers
to :
1 - protect the mucosa.
2- facilitate the passage of food
material.
 The muscularis externa, ( outer wall ) contains a
mixture of different types of muscle fibers.
 In the upper third of the esophagus, striated
skeletal muscle fibers.
 In the middle third, both skeletal and smooth
muscle fibers,
 The lower third : smooth muscle fibers only.
 The stomach
 is an expanded hollow organ
situated between the
esophagus and small intestine.
 At the esophageal-stomach junction,
there is an abrupt transition from the
stratified squamous epithelium of the
esophagus to the simple columnar
epithelium of the stomach.
 The luminal surface is pitted with
numerous tiny openings called gastric
pits.
 These are formed by the luminal
epithelium that invaginates the
underlying connective tissue lamina
propria of the mucosa.
 The tubular gastric glands are located below
the luminal epithelium .
 open directly into the gastric pits to deliver
their secretions into the stomach lumen.
 The gastric glands descend through the
lamina propria to the muscularis mucosae.
 Below the mucosa is the dense
connective tissue submucosa
containing large blood vessels
and nerves.
 The muscularis externa :
 thick muscular wall of the stomach,
 exhibits three muscle layers instead of
the two that are normally seen in the
esophagus and small intestine.
 The outer layer is covered by the
serosa or visceral peritoneum.
 The fundus and the body comprise
about two thirds of the stomach and
have identical histology.
 Anatomically, it is divided into the narrow
cardia, where the esophagus terminates,
 an upper dome-shaped fundus,
 a lower body or corpus,
 a funnel-shaped, terminal region called the
pylorus .
The mucosa ( of fundus & body ) consists of :
 different cell types

 & deep gastric glands that produce most of

the gastric secretions or juices for digestion.
 Rugae, ( s: ruga)
 are longitudinal folds of the mucosa and
submucosa.

 Present in all stomach regions.

 These folds are temporary and disappear

when the stomach is distended with fluid or
solid material .