NUR1101 – ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

CHAPTER 16 – DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

GUNGON, Shanley Sophia M. | BS Nursing – 157

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM Layers of Digestive Tract Wall (stomach)

Complex set of organs, glands, and ducts that work together to Also termed as tunics
transform food into nutrients for cells.
• Enzymes break the particles down into small 1. Mucosa
molecules, which are absorbed into the blood and • Innermost layer
transported all over the body. • Secretes mucus – aid in
digestion
FOOD • Contain lymphatic vessels
2. Submucosa
CHO CHON (protein) FATS
• Above mucosa
(carbohydrates)
• Contains blood vessels,
1st burned by the 2nd burned by the 3rd burned by the
body body body nerves, small glands
Go food, fiber High biologic val. Oil, fried food 3. Muscularis
Monosaccharides = more protein Fatty acids + lipids • Above submucosa
– glucose (animal sources) phospholipids • Longitudinal, circular, and oblique muscles –
Disaccharides – Low biologic val. = peristalsins
table sugar less protein (plant 4. Serosa/adventitia
Polysaccharides - sources) • Outermost layer
starchy • Peritoneum present = serosa
• No peritoneum present = adventitia
Mechanical • Connective tissue
• Breaking down of foods into small particles
Peritoneum
• Mastication (chewing) Visceral peritoneum
• Ingestion (take in food) – swallowing • Serosa
Chemical • serous membranes that covers organs
• Break down molecule Parietal peritoneum
• serous membranes that lines cavity walls
Digestive system functions
1. Ingestion and mastication (mechanical) Mesenteries
• Mastication (chewing) • connective tissue sheets that holds digestive
• Ingestion (take in food) – swallowing organs in place in the abdominal cavity
2. Propulsion and mixing Lesser omentum
• Propulsion – movement of food from one end of the • upper stomach – stomach to liver and diaphragm
digestive track to the other. Greater omentum
• Mixing – movement of food back and forth in the • lower stomach – stomach to transverse colon and
digestive track to mix with enzymes and facilitate posterior body wall
absorption
3. Digestion and secretion Oral cavity
• Digestion – mechanical and chemical breakdown of Lips
large molecules into smaller molecules • formed by orbicularis oris muscle covered by skin
• Secretion – addition of liquids, enzymes, and mucus Cheeks
to the ingested food • lateral wall of the oral cavity
4. Absorption – movement of molecules out of the • buccinator muscles – flatten cheeks against teeth
digestive track into the blood or lymphatic system. Tongue
5. Elimination – removal of undigested material such as • large muscular organ that occupies most of the oral
fiber from food, and other waste products from the cavity
body as feces.
• moves food in the mouth
Teeth
Upper Digestive System
• 32 teeth in normal adult
Pharynx
• Incisors, canine, premolars, wisdom
Oral cavity
Salivary glands • 20 primary deciduous teeth
• Parotid • Each tooth has crown, cusp, neck, root
• Sublingual • Bulk of tooth is formed by cellular tissue called dentin
• Submental • In the crown of the tooth, dentin is covered by an
Esophagus extremely hard, acellular enamel
Stomach
Pancreas Salivary Gland
Liver • Parotid – serous gland anterior to each ear
Gall bladder • Submandibular – under the mandible
• Sublingual – under the tongue

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NUR1101 – ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
CHAPTER 16 – DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
GUNGON, Shanley Sophia M. | BS Nursing – 157

• Fundus – to the left, superior to cardiac part

• Body – largest part of stomach
• Body turns right = creates greater and lesser
curvature
• Pyloric – funnel-shaped, thickening and narrowing of
body

Muscularis has 3 layers:

• Outer longitudinal, middle circular, inner oblique
to produce churning action
Rugae
• Large folds that allow stomach to stretch
Chyme
• Paste-like substance that forms when food begins to
Esophagus be broken down
• Transport food to the stomach
• Tube that connects pharynx to stomach Pyloric opening
• Heartburn • Opening between stomach and small intestine
o occurs when gastric juices regurgitate into Pyloric sphincter
esophagus • Thick, ring of smooth muscle around pyloric opening
o caused by caffeine, smoking, eating, or which regulates movement of food into the small
drinking in excess intestine
Swallowing
1. Voluntary phase
• ingestion, mastication
• bolus (mass of food) formed in mouth and
pushed into oropharynx
2. Pharyngeal phase
• Swallowing reflex initiated when bolus stimulates
receptors
3. Esophageal phase
• Moves food from pharynx to stomach

Peristalsis
Epithelial cells in Stomach
• Wave-like contractions moves food through • Surface mucous cells – produce mucus that coats
digestive track and protects the stomach
• Mucous neck cells – produce mucus
• Parietal cells – produce hydrochloric acid and
intrinsic factor
• Endocrine cells – produce hormones and paracrine
molecules
• Chief cells – produce pepsinogen, aprecursos of the
protein-digesting enzyme pepsin

Secretions of the Stomach

Hydrochloric acid
• Produces a pH of about 2.0 in the stomach
• Kills microorganisms, activates pepsin
Stomach
Pepsin
• Located in abdomen/ epigastric region
• Breaks covalent bonds of proteins to form smaller
• Storage tank of food
peptide chains
• Can hold up to 2 liters of food
• Produces mucus, hydrochloric acid, protein digesting Regulation of Stomach Secretions
enzymes Parasympathetic stimulation, gastrin, and histamine increase
• Contains thick mucus layer that lubricates and stomach secretions
protects epithelial cells on stomach wall from acidic
pH (3) Histamine:
• Mucin – thin coating, neutralize, acid H1 – allergy
H2 – HCl (hydrochloric acid)
Regions of the Stomach

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NUR1101 – ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
CHAPTER 16 – DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
GUNGON, Shanley Sophia M. | BS Nursing – 157

1. Cephalic phase Mucosa of the Small Intestine

• Stomach secretions are initiated by sight, smell, taste, Mucosa of the small intestine is simple columnar epithelium
or food thought with four major cell types
• Hydrochloric acid, pepsin, mucus, intrinsic factor,
gastrin and histamine are released in the stomach 1. Absorptive cells
2. Gastric phase • Have microvilli, produce digestive enzymes and
• Food in stomach absorb digested food
• No HCl 2. Goblet cells
• Peptides, produced by the action of pepsin on • Produce protective mucus
proteins, stimulate the secretion of gastrin 3. Granular cells
• Gastrin is carried through the blood back to the • May help protect the intestinal epithelium from
stomach stimulating secretion bacteria
3. Intestinal phase 4. Endocrine cells
• Secretion and movement in stomach • Produce regulatory hormones
• Entrance of chyme into duodenum stimulates
neuronal reflexes and secretions of hormones Secretions of Small Intestine
Peptidases – enzymatically breakdown protein into amino
• Secretin and cholecystokinin are released into the
acids absorption
blood by the duodenum and inhibit secretion and
Disaccharidases - enzymatically breakdown disaccharides
movement in stomach.
into monosaccharides for absorption
Movement in Stomach
Mixing waves Liver Anatomy
• Weight about 3 lbs
• Weak contraction
• Located in the right upper quadrant of the
• Thoroughly mix food to form chyme
abdomen under the diaphragm
Peristaltic waves
• Consists of right, left, caudate, and quadrate
• Stronger contraction
lobes
• Force chyme toward and through pyloric sphincter
Porta
Stomach empties every 4 hours after regular meal and 6-8
• Gate where blood vessels, ducts, nerves, enter
hours after high fatty meal
and exit
Small intestine • Receives blood from the hepatic artery and
• Measures 6 meters in length hepatic portal vein
• Major absorptive organ of the gastrointestinal
tract
• Chyme takes 3-5 hours to pass through
• Contains enzymes to further breakdown food
• Contains secretions for protection against the acidity
of chyme
Anatomy of Small Intestine
Duodenum
• First part, 25 cm long
• Contains absorptive cells, goblet cells, granular cells,
endocrine cells
• Contains microvilli and many folds
• Contains bile and pancreatic ducts
Jejunum
• Second part
• 2.5 m long
• Primary site of nutrient absorption
Ileum
• Third part
• 3.5 m long

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