ANA1CM AND nSICLCG

GAS1kCIN1LS1INAL SS1LM


Iunct|ons of Gastro|ntest|na| System

1 1ake |n Iood lood and waLer are Laken lnLo Lhe body Lhrough Lhe mouLh
2 reakdown the Iood 1he food LhaL ls Laken lnLo Lhe body ls broken down durlng Lhe
process of dlgesLlon from Lhe complex molecules Lo smaller molecules LhanL can be
absorbed
3 Absorb d|gested mo|ecu|es 1he small molecules LhaL resulL from dlgesLlon are absorbed
Lhrough Lhe walls of Lhe lnLesLlne for use ln Lhe body
4 rov|des nutr|ents 1he process of dlgesLlon and absorpLlon provldes Lhe body wlLh waLer
elecLrolyLes and oLher nuLrlenLs such as vlLamlns and mlnerals
3 L||m|nate wastes undlgesLed maLerlal such as flber from food plus wasLe producLs
excreLed lnLo Lhe dlgesLlve LracL are ellmlnaLed ln Lhe feces

1he gastro|ntest|na| tract (Cl1) conslsLs of a hollow muscular Lube sLarLlng from Lhe oral cavlLy where
food enLers Lhe mouLh conLlnulng Lhrough Lhe pharynx oesophagus sLomach and lnLesLlnes Lo Lhe
recLum and anus where food ls expelled 1here are varlous accessory organs LhaL asslsL Lhe LracL by
secreLlng enzymes Lo help break down food lnLo lLs
componenL nuLrlenLs 1hus Lhe sallvary glands llver
pancreas and gall bladder have lmporLanL funcLlons ln
Lhed|gest|ve system lood ls propelled along Lhe lengLh of
Lhe Cl1 by perlsLalLlc movemenLs of Lhe muscular walls

1he Cl LracL ls composed of four layers or also know as
1unlcs Lach layer has dlfferenL Llssues and funcLlons
lrom Lhe lnslde ouL Lhey are called mucosa submucosa muscularls and serosa
Mucosa 1he mucosa ls Lhe absorpLlve and secreLory layer lL ls composed of slmple eplLhellum cells and
a Lhln connecLlve Llssue 1here are speclallzed gobleL cells LhaL secreLe mucus LhroughouL Lhe Cl LracL
locaLed wlLhln Lhe mucosa Cn Lhe mucosa layer Lhere are vllll and Mlcro vllll
Submucosa 1he submucosa ls relaLlvely Lhlck hlghly vascular and serves Lhe mucosa 1he absorbed
elemenLs LhaL pass Lhrough Lhe mucosa are plcked up from Lhe blood vessels of Lhe submucosa 1he
submucosa also has glands and nerve plexuses
Muscu|ar|s 1he muscularls ls responslble for segmenLal conLracLlons and perlsLalLlc movemenL ln Lhe Cl
LracL 1he muscularls ls composed of Lwo layers of muscle an lnner clrcular and ouLer longlLudlnal layer
of smooLh muscle 1hese muscles cause food Lo move and churn wlLh dlgesLlve enzymes down Lhe Cl
LracL
Serosa 1he lasL layer ls a proLecLlve layer lL ls composed of avascular connecLlve Llssue and slmple
squamous eplLhellum lL secreLes lubrlcaLlng serous fluld 1hls ls Lhe vlslble layer on Lhe ouLslde of Lhe
organs

Ind|v|dua| Components of Gastro|ntest|na| System

Cra| cav|ty
1he oral cavlLy or mouLh ls responslble for Lhe lnLake of food lL ls llned by a sLraLlfled squamous oral
mucosa wlLh keraLln coverlng Lhose areas sub[ecL Lo slgnlflcanL abraslon such as Lhe Longue hard palaLe
and roof of Lhe mouLh MasLlcaLlon refers Lo Lhe mechanlcal breakdown of food by chewlng and
chopplng acLlons of Lhe LeeLh 1he Longue a sLrong muscular organ manlpulaLes Lhe food bolus Lo come
ln conLacL wlLh Lhe LeeLh lL ls also Lhe senslng organ of Lhe mouLh for Louch LemperaLure and LasLe
uslng lLs speclallsed sensors known as paplllae

Sa||vary g|ands
1hese glands lncrease Lhelr ouLpuL of secreLlons Lhrough Lhree palrs of ducLs lnLo Lhe oral cavlLy and
begln Lhe process of dlgesLlon
Sallva lubrlcaLes Lhe food enabllng lL Lo be swallowed and conLalns Lhe enzyme pLyalln whlch serves Lo
begln Lo break down sLarch
SallvaLlon occurs ln response Lo Lhe LasLe smell or even appearance of food 1hls occurs due Lo nerve
slgnals LhaL Lell Lhe sallvary glands Lo secreLe sallva Lo prepare and molsLen Lhe mouLh Lach palr of
sallvary glands secreLes sallva wlLh sllghLly dlfferenL composlLlons

harynx
SlLuaLed aL Lhe back of Lhe nose and oral cavlLy recelves Lhe sofLened food mass or bolus by Lhe Longue
pushlng lL agalnsL Lhe palaLe whlch lnlLlaLes Lhe swallowlng acLlon
AL Lhe same Llme a small flap called Lhe eplgloLLls moves over Lhe Lrachea Lo prevenL any food parLlcles
geLLlng lnLo Lhe wlndplpe
lrom Lhe pharynx onwards Lhe allmenLary canal ls a slmple Lube sLarLlng wlLh Lhe sallvary glands

Lsophagus
1he esophagus ls a muscular Lube of approxlmaLely 23cm ln lengLh and 2cm ln dlameLer lL exLends from
Lhe pharynx Lo Lhe sLomach afLer passlng Lhrough an openlng ln Lhe dlaphragm 1he wall of Lhe
esophagus ls made up of lnner clrcular and ouLer longlLudlnal layers of muscle LhaL are supplled by Lhe
esophageal nerve plexus 1hls nerve plexus surrounds Lhe lower porLlon of Lhe esophagus 1he
esophagus funcLlons prlmarlly as a LransporL medlum beLween comparLmenLs

1he food ls moved by rhyLhmlcal muscular conLracLlons known as perlsLalsls (wavellke moLlons) caused
by conLracLlons ln longlLudlnal and clrcular bands of muscle AnLlperlsLalsls where Lhe conLracLlons
Lravel upwards ls Lhe reflex acLlon of vomlLlng and ls usually alded by Lhe conLracLlon of Lhe abdomlnal
muscles and dlaphragm

Stomach
1he sLomach ls a ! shaped expanded bag locaLed [usL lefL of Lhe mldllne beLween Lhe esophagus and
small lnLesLlne lL ls dlvlded lnLo four maln reglons and has Lwo borders called Lhe greaLer and lesser
curvaLures
O 1he flrsL secLlon ls Lhe cardla whlch surrounds Lhe cardlal orlflce where Lhe esophagus enLers
Lhe sLomach
O 1he fundus ls Lhe superlor dllaLed porLlon of Lhe sLomach LhaL has conLacL wlLh Lhe lefL dome of
Lhe dlaphragm
O 1he body ls Lhe largesL secLlon beLween Lhe fundus and Lhe curved porLlon of Lhe ! 1hls ls
where mosL gasLrlc glands are locaLed and where mosL mlxlng of Lhe food occurs
O llnally Lhe pylorus ls Lhe curved base of Lhe sLomach CasLrlc conLenLs are expelled lnLo Lhe
proxlmal duodenum vla Lhe pylorlc sphlncLer
1he lnner surface of Lhe sLomach ls conLracLed lnLo numerous longlLudlnal folds called rugae 1hese
allow Lhe sLomach Lo sLreLch and expand when food enLers 1he sLomach can hold up Lo 13 llLres of
maLerlal When expandlng Lhls sends sLlmull Lo Lhe hypoLhalamus whlch ls Lhe parL of Lhe braln and
nervous sysLem conLrolllng hunger and Lhe deslre Lo eaL

Sma|| |ntest|ne
1he small lnLesLlne measures abouL 7m ln an average adulL and conslsLs of Lhe duodenum [e[unum and
lleum 8oLh Lhe blle and pancreaLlc ducLs open lnLo Lhe duodenum LogeLher 1he small lnLesLlne
because of lLs sLrucLure provldes a vasL llnlng Lhrough whlch furLher absorpLlon Lakes place 1here ls a
large lymph and blood supply Lo Lhls area ready Lo LransporL nuLrlenLs Lo Lhe resL of Lhe body ulgesLlon
ln Lhe small lnLesLlne relles on lLs own secreLlons plus Lhose from Lhe pancreas llver and gall bladder

Large |ntest|ne
1he large lnLesLlne ls horseshoe shaped and exLends around Lhe small lnLesLlne llke a frame lL conslsLs
of Lhe appendlx cecum ascendlng Lransverse descendlng and slgmold colon and Lhe recLum lL has a
lengLh of approxlmaLely 13m and a wldLh of 73cm
1he caecum ls Lhe expanded pouch LhaL recelves maLerlal from Lhe lleum and sLarLs Lo compress food
producLs lnLo faecal maLerlal lood Lhen Lravels along Lhe colon 1he wall of Lhe colon ls made up of
several pouches (hausLra) LhaL are held under Lenslon by Lhree Lhlck bands of muscle (Laenla coll)
1he recLum ls Lhe flnal 13cm of Lhe large lnLesLlne lL expands Lo hold faecal maLLer before lL passes
Lhrough Lhe anorecLal canal Lo Lhe anus 1hlck bands of muscle known as sphlncLers conLrol Lhe
passage of faeces


1he mucosa of Lhe large lnLesLlne lacks vllll seen ln Lhe small lnLesLlne 1he mucosal surface ls flaL wlLh
several deep lnLesLlnal glands numerous gobleL cells llne Lhe glands LhaL secreLe mucous Lo lubrlcaLe
faecal maLLer as lL solldlfles 1he funcLlons of Lhe large lnLesLlne can be summarlsed as
1 1he accumulaLlon of unabsorbed maLerlal Lo form faeces
2 Some dlgesLlon by bacLerla 1he bacLerla are responslble for Lhe formaLlon of lnLesLlnal gas
3 8eabsorpLlon of waLer salLs sugar and vlLamlns


L|ver
1he llver whlch acLs as a large reservolr and fllLer for blood occuples Lhe upper rlghL porLlon of
abdomen and has several lmporLanL funcLlons
O SecreLlon of blle Lo Lhe gall bladder
O arbohydraLe proLeln and faL meLabollsm
O 1he sLorage of glycogen ready for converslon lnLo glucose when energy ls requlred
O SLorage of vlLamlns
O 9hagocyLosls lngesLlon of worn ouL red and whlLe blood cells and some bacLerla

Ga|| b|adder
1he maln funcLlons of Lhe gall bladder are sLorage and concenLraLlon of blle 8lle ls a Lhlck fluld LhaL
conLalns enzymes Lo help dlssolve faL ln Lhe lnLesLlnes 8lle ls produced by Lhe llver buL sLored ln Lhe
gallbladder unLll lL ls needed 8lle ls released from Lhe gall bladder by conLracLlon of lLs muscular walls ln
response Lo hormone slgnals from Lhe duodenum ln Lhe presence of food

ancreas
1he 9ancreas ls connecLed Lo Lhe duodenum vla Lwo ducLs and has Lwo maln funcLlons
O 1o produce enzymes Lo ald Lhe process of dlgesLlon
O 1o release lnsulln dlrecLly lnLo Lhe blood sLream for Lhe purpose of conLrolllng blood sugar levels