ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

LESSON 14 | DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM 5. ABSORPTION
- The entrance of ingested and secreted fluids, ions,
Two (2) Important Functions and the products of digestion into the epithelial cells
1. Breaking down large food molecules into small lining the lumen of the GI tract
molecules
2. Absorbing small molecules, minerals, water into 6. DEFECATION
the body - Wastes, ingestible substances, bacteria, cells
sloughed from the lining of the GI tract and
Composed of: Digested materials that were not absorbed in their
a. Gastrointestinal Tract journey through the Digestive tract leave the body
b. Accessory Digestive organs through the anus.

6 BASIC PROCESSES 4 DISTINCT LAYERS

1. INGESTION 1. SEROSA – Outermost layer

- Intake of Food and Liquid into the mouth. - Composed of Visceral peritoneum continuous with
parietal peritoneum
2. SECRETION - Secrete serous fluid to keep surfaces moist and
- 7 liters/day of water, acid, buffers, and enzymes into reduce friction.
the lumen of the tract.
2. MUSCULAR EXTERNA
3. MIXING AND PROPULSION - Two sets of smooth muscle layers
- Alternating contractions and relaxations of smooth a. Inner circular
muscle in the walls of the GI tract mix food and b. Outer longitudinal
secretions and move them towards the anus.
- MOTILITIY – capability of the GI tract to mix and 3. SUBMUCOSA
move material along its length. - Blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, nerves

4. DIGESTION 4. MUCOSA – Innermost layer

Mechanical Digestion
- Physical breakdown on food into smaller pieces.
- Food molecules become more dissolved and
thoroughly mixed with digestive enzymes.
- Contains glands that secrete enzymes to digest
food molecules.
- Mucus to protect tissues of the GIT.
CONTRACTION OF THE SMOOTH MUSCLE LAYERS

Chemical Digestion Mixing Movements

- Splitting of Complex, non-absorbable food - Alternating Rhythmic contractions in short
molecules into small absorbable nutrient molecules segments
by addition of water (hydrolysis). - Ripple-like contractions mixing food substances
- Digestive enzymes catalyze these catabolic with digestive secretions.
reactions in the body.
Peristalsis
- Propelling movements
- Wave-like manner pushing food in front of it moving
from on portion to another.

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Adriel Vamos | BSN 1-F
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
LESSON 14 | DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS Basic Functions
1. MOUTH – Oral Cavity a. Mixes saliva, food, and gastric juices to form
- Intake of food, mechanically breaking into small chyme.
pieces, mix with saliva and swallowing. b. Serves as reservoir for food before release into
small intestine.
Digestion in the Mouth c. Secrete gastric juices.
- Mechanical and Chemical digestion takes place. → HCI – Kills bacteria and denatures proteins.
Mechanical – Mastication (Chewing) → Pepsin – Begins the digestion of Proteins.
Chemical – Breakdown of Carbohydrates; → Intrinsic factor – Aids absorption of B12
Salivary Amylase. → Gastric Lipase – Aids digestion of triglycerides.
d. Secretes gastrin into blood.
Mastication (chewing)
- Involves voluntary and reflexive actions of the 4 Regions:
cheeks, lips, tongue, and teeth to break down a) Cardia
food. b) Fundus
Deglutition (swallowing) c) Pylorus
- Comprises voluntary buccal and involuntary d) Body (largest region)
pharyngeal-esophageal phases. - Pyloric Sphincter: Junction of stomach and
duodenum.
2. PHARYNX – Throat
- Respiratory and Digestive functions 3 Layers of the Muscle
- Transport food from mouth to esophagus during → Outer longitudinal layer
swallowing → Middle circular layer
→ Inner oblique layer
3. ESOPHAGUS
- Muscular tube from pharynx through the Rugae
thoracic cavity and diaphragm to join stomach. - Numerous folds on empty stomach
Peristalsis - food carried to stomach by (wave-like - Allows mucosa to stretch as stomach fills with
movement of the muscles that line our GI tract). food.

Deglutition – Action or Process of Swallowing Gastric Pits

- Mucosa openings of gastric glands which secrete
Mucosa - produces mucus to lubricate esophagus and gastric juices.
aids passage of food.
- Superficial layer – adventitia, rather than the
serosa
- Sphincters:
a. Upper esophageal sphincter
b. Lower esophageal (cardiac) sphincter

4. STOMACH
- J-shaped; pouched like portion.
- Lies below the diaphragm in upper left quadrant
of abdomen.

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Adriel Vamos | BSN 1-F
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
LESSON 14 | DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
5. SMALL INTESTINE
- 2.5 cm in diameter and 6.4 (21 ft) long
- Has 3 sequential segments:
a. Duodenum – shortest 25cm
b. Jejunum – middle; 2.5m
c. Ileum – longest; 3.6m
Mesentery
- Organ that attaches the intestines to the
posterior abdominal wall and formed by the
double fold of the peritoneum.
- Allow the movement with blood vessels,
lymphatic vessels, and nerves.
BOLUS – Food that has been chewed and mixed in the
mouth with Saliva.
CHYME – Part liquid and part solid: a thick semifluid
mass of partially digested food and digestive
secretions that is formed in the stomach and small
intestine during digestion.
FUNCTIONS:
1. Segmentation
- Mix Chyme with digestive juices and bring food
into contact with mucosa for absorption;
Peristalsis propels chyme through the small
intestine.
2. Completes digestion of carbohydrates,
proteins, and lipids; begins and completes
digestion of nucleic acids.
3. Absorbs about 90% of nutrients and water
that pass through digestive system.
4. Major Site of Digestion.
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Intestinal Juice
- Fluid secreted by the intestinal glands; slightly
alkaline which contains mucus and water.
- Juice provides appropriate environment for the
action of bile salts and pancreatic digestive
enzymes within the SI.
- Intestinal secretions are regulated by neural
reflex (parasympathetic impulses to the
submucosa)
- Stimulate increase in the rate of the intestinal
secretions.
Carbohydrate Digestion
- Begins in the mouth and ends in the Small
Intestine.
- 3 Intestinal enzymes that split disaccharides into
monosaccharides.
Fat (Triglyceride) Digestion
- Occurs in the Small Intestine
- Intestinal Lipase – splits fat (triglycerides into
monoglycerides).
- End product: Diffuse into epithelial cells of Villi.
Protein Digestion
- Begins at stomach and ends in the Small
Intestine.
- Peptidase – breaks peptides into amino acids.
- End Products: Amino acids actively absorbed in
the capillaries of the Villi.
6. LARGE INTESTINE
- Terminal part of the Alimentary canal
- Primary function is to finish absorption of
nutrients and water, synthesize certain vitamins.
- Form Feces and eliminate feces from the body.
a. Cecum
- First part of the large intestine
- Suspended inferior to the ileocecal valve.
- Receives the contents of the Ileum.
- Absorption of water and salts.
Adriel Vamos | BSN 1-F
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
LESSON 14 | DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
Appendix Mucosa has no Villi.
- A winding tube that attaches to the cecum - Columnar epithelium contains goblet cells.
- Serves as a bacterial reservoir to repopulate the
enteric bacteria. Anus kept close except during DEFECATION.
Mesoappendix Internal Anal Sphincter – Involuntary control
- The mesentery of the Appendix External Anal Sphincter – Voluntary control
- Tethers to the mesentery of the Ileum

b. Colon ACCESSORY ORGANS

- Food residue travels up the Ascending colon. 1. PANCREAS
- 4 Segments - Small, pennant-shaped gland
a. Ascending colon - Posterior to pyloric portion of the stomach
b. Transverse colon - Connects to duodenum by a duct.
c. Descending colon - Endocrine and exocrine functions
d. Sigmoid colon - Secretes pancreatic juice.

c. Rectum Control of Pancreatic secretions

- Short, terminal portion: last portion as the anal a. Neural (parasympathetic)
canal opening into anus. b. Hormonal: Secretin and Cholecystokinin (CCK)

Digestion by Pancreatic enzymes

a. Pancreatic amylase
- Acts on starch and glycogen
- Split into maltose (disaccharide)

b. Pancreatic lipase
- Acts on Fat
- Monoglycerides and fatty acids

c. Trypsin
- Major pancreatic enzyme
- Split protein into peptides

2. LIVER
Taeniae Coli - Largest gland in the body
- Unique to the colon - Located mostly in the RUQ just below the
- Portions of thickened longitudinal muscles, Diaphragm.
forming 3 conspicuous bands
Haustra Divided into 2 Lobes
- Tonic contractions gather the colon into a series - Hepatic Artery – Oxygenated blood into the liver
of pouches. - Hepatic Portal Vein – Unoxygenated, nutrient
- These are saccules in the colon that give it its rich blood.
segmented appearance. • Has many functions (not associated with
digestion).

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Adriel Vamos | BSN 1-F
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
LESSON 14 | DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
PHASES OF DIGESTION Cholecystokinin:
1. CEPHALIC PHASE
- Salivary glands secrete saliva.
- Gastric glands secrete gastric juice.
- Preparation of the Mouth and Stomach for food
to be ingested. Gastric Inhibitory Peptide
2. GASTRIC PHASE
- Caused by the presence of food in the stomach.
- Promotes gastric juice secretion and Gastric
motility.
3. INTESTINAL PHASE
- Food is Digested in the Small intestine
REGULATORY MECHANISMS
- These mechanisms work to maintain the optimal
conditions on the lumen needed for digestion and
absorption.
- These regulatory mechanisms stimulate digestive
activity through mechanical and chemical activity.
- Both are controlled Extrinsically and Intrinsically.
NEURAL CONTROL
- The wall of the Alimentary canal contains a variety
of sensors that help regulate digestive function.
- Mechanoreceptors, Chemoreceptors, and
Osmoreceptors.
- Activating peristalsis and segmentation that moves
food along the intestinal tract.
HORMONAL CONTROL
Gastrin:
- Main digestive hormone of the stomach
- Gastrin stimulates the secretion in response to the
presence of food.
- Stimulates the secretion of gastric acid by the
parietal cells of the stomach mucosa.
Secretin:
- Stimulates watery secretion of Bicarbonate by the
pancreas.
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- Stimulates the secretion of pancreatic enzymes and
bile from the liver; release of bile from the
gallbladder.
- Inhibits gastric excretion and slows gastric
emptying and motility.
CLINICAL INTERESTS
a. Hematemesis
- A very dangerous condition in which a person
bleeds internally and vomits as a result.
b. Melena
- Black, tarry stool that comes from bleeding in
your upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
c. Hematochezia
- The passage of fresh blood per anus, usually in or
with stools.
d. Dysphagia
- Difficulty swallowing certain foods or liquids.
e. Odynophagia’
- Pain when swallowing. The pain may be felt in the
mouth or throat and can occur with or without
difficulty swallowing.
f. Achalasia
- a rare swallowing disorder that affects the
esophagus (the tube between the throat and the
stomach).
g. Reflux
- Occurs when the sphincter muscle at the lower
end of your esophagus relaxes at the wrong time,
allowing stomach acid to back up into your
esophagus.
Adriel Vamos | BSN 1-F