GASTROINTESTINAL

PHYSIOLOGY
STRUCTURE OF THE GIT
INNERVATION OF GIT
ANS

Extrinsic Intrinsic
Component Component

Enteric Nervous
Parasymphatetic
System

Symphatetic
GIT REGULATORY
SUBSTANCES
1. Contraction and
relaxation of smooth
muscle wall and
sphincters
2. Secretion of enzymes
for digestion
3. Secretion of fluid
and electrolytes
4. Trophic effect
SOMATOSTATIN

– Secreted by : D cell (paracrine or endocrine) of GIT

Mucosa + hypothalamus + delta cell of endocrine
pancreas
– Stimuli for secretion : decreased luminal pH
– Action :
1. Inhibit H+ secretion
2. Inhibit other GI hormones
Histamine

– Secreted by : endocrine cell types of GI mucosa

particularly in the H+ secreting region of the
stomach
– Histamine along with the gastrin and Ach
stimulates H+ secretion by gastric parietal cell
Satiety Apetite
Located in
Located LHA
the VPN

Anorexigenic Orexigenic
neurons neurons

Neuropeptide
POMC
Y

Leptin,
insulin, GLP- ghrelin
1, peptide YY
MOTILITY

– Contraction and relaxation of the walls and sphinters of

GIT Periodic contraction
followed by relaxation

Phasic contraction

Esophagus, gastric
antrum, small intestine
Contraction GIT smooth
muscle
Constant level of
contraction or tone
without regular period
of relaxation
Tonic contraction
Orad region of the
stomach & lower
esophageal, ileocaecal,
internal anal sphincters
 Slow wave depolarizes
Subthreshold slow
membrane potential to
waves
threshold

Smooth muscle Action potential

not completely occur on the top
relaxed of the slow wave

Exhibit basal Phasic

contraction contraction

Stronger
Tonic contraction
contraction

Weak
contraction
 CHEWING

Voluntary component Override involuntary

CHEWING
Sensory information is Orchestrate a reflex
Initiated by food in the relayed from oscillatory pattern of
Involuntary component
mouth mechanoreceptors in the activity to the muscle in
mouth to the brain stem involved in chewing
SWALLOWING
Initiated when the Contains high
tongue forces the density
ORAL PHASE Activation receptor
bolus back toward somatosensory
the pharynx receptors

Initiates the
Epiglottis moves to
Soft palate pulled involuntary
cover the opening of PHARYNGEAL PHASE
upward swallowing reflex in
the larynx
the medulla

Peristaltic waves
Upper esophageal
Larynx of upward initiated in the ESOPHAGEAL PHASE
sphincters relaxes
pharynx

Once the bolus has

Secondary Primary peristaltic passed through the
Sphincter close
peristaltic waves waves upper esophageal
sphincters
Esophageal motility
Upper esophageal sphincters
opens
Decrease pressure in the orad
stomach and facilitates
movement into the stomach
Lower esophageal sphincters
Food bolus enter the orad
stomach
Once the bolus enter the
Bolus moves from the
esophagus, the sphincter
pharynx to the esophagus
close
As food bolus approach lower
Orad region of stomach also
Receptive relaxation
relaxes
contraction doesn’t clear the
Pressure in the sphincters
contracts returning to its higher than pressure in the
high-resting tone esophagus and stomach
As each segment of
esophagus contracts, it
Primary peristaltic
creates an area of high
contraction
pressure just behind the
bolus
Each sequential contraction
esophageal sphincters, the pushes the bolus further
sphincters opens along
If the primary peristaltic
esophagus from food,
secondary peristaltic
contraction initiated by
enteric nervous system