INTRODUCTION TO GIT

Dr. Mahnoor Shahzad

Demonstrator I
Physiology department
 DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
2 groups of organs compose the digestive system:
1. Gastrointestinal (GI) tract, or alimentary canal – a continuous
tube that extends from the mouth to the anus through the
thoracic & abdominopelvic cavities
– organs include the mouth, most of the pharynx, esophagus,
stomach, small intestine, & large intestine – length of the GI
tract is about 5–7 meters in a living person

2. Accessory digestive organs – include the teeth, tongue, salivary

glands, liver, gallbladder, & pancreas
– teeth aid in the physical breakdown of food
– tongue assists in chewing & swallowing
– salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, & pancreas produce or store
secretions that flow into the GI tract through ducts
FUNCTIONS OF GIT
 Digestion of the food
 Secretion of digestive juices

 Absorption of the products of digestion

 Excretion of waste materials

 Fluid and electrolyte balance

 Immunity (barrier to entry of pathogens and toxins)

 FUNCTIONS OF THE DIGESTIVE
SYSTEM
• Each part is adapted
to its specific
functions:
a. Simple passage of
food: Esophagus
b. Temporary storage of
food: Stomach
c. Digestion and
absorption: Small
intestine
 SALIVARY GLANDS

- Parotid glands
- Submandibular glands
- Sublingual glands
- Buccal glands
Secretion of the saliva:
• 800 – 1500 ml/day
 COMPOSITION OF THE SALIVA

• 99.5 % -water;
• 0.5 % substances

– Organic – 0.3 %
-- Inorganic – 0.5 %
Organicsubstances:
• Mucin, digestive enzymes

• – ptyalin, lingual lipase, proteolytic enzymes,

cytochromoxidase, carbanhydrase, phosphatase, IgA,
lysozyme, blood groups s.
Cells:
• leukocytes,epithelial cells

Inorganic substances:
• Na+, K+, Cl-, HCO3
 FUNCTIONS OF SALIVA

- Keeps the mouth moist, aids speech

- Facilitates swallowing

- Serves as a solvent for the molecules that stimulate the

taste buds

- Serves a solvent for irritating foods

- Helps wash away the pathogenetic bacteria

- Destroy bacteria (thiocyanate ions, proteolytic enzymes)

LAYERS OF INTESTINAL WALL
 Serosa
 Longitudinal muscle layer (contractions causes
shortening/ decrease in length, this is involved in
peristalsis)
 Circular muscle layer (contractions causes a decrease in
diameter)
 Submucosa

 Mucosa (mucosal muscle lie in deeper layers of mucosa)

TYPICAL CROSS SECTION OF GUT
GAP JUNCTIONS
 Muscle fibers are
electrically connected with
one another through large
numbers of gap junctions
 Allow low-resistance
movement of ions from
one muscle cell to the next
A SYNCTIUM
 Synctium is a single cell or cytoplasmic mass containing
several nuclei, formed by fusion of cells or by division
of nuclei
GI SMOOTH MUSCLES ACT AS A
SYNCTIUM
 GI smooth muscle fibers are connected with one another
through gap junctions that allows easy flow of ions
 GIT smooth muscle bundles are separated from each
other by loose connective tissue, but are connected at
many points to allow ionic flow
 Since GIT smooth muscle fibers and bundles are inter-
connected, so each muscle layer functions as a synctium
ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY OF GI SMOOTH
MUSCLES
 Two basic types of electical waves:
 Slow waves

 Spikes Potentials
SLOW WAVES
 They are slow undulating changes in resting membrane
potential
 Intensity usually varies between 5-15mV

 Frequency ranges from:

i. 3/min in stomach
ii. 12/min in duodenum
iii. 8-9/min in terminal ileum
 Frequency of slow waves determines rhythm of
contractions of different parts of GIT
 They are NOT true action potentials but they control true
action potentials (spike potential)
SPIKE POTENTIAL
 They are true action potential that occur when RMP rises
above -40mV
 It is caused by opening of slow Na-Ca channels

 Ca ions that enter GIT smooth muscle fiber during spike

potential cause most of the contraction
RESTING MEMBRANE POTENTIAL
 RMP of GI smooth muscle is -56 mV
 It ranges from -50 to -65 mV
DEPOLARIZATION OF GI SMOOTH
MUSCLES
 When potential becomes more positive and muscle fiber
becomes more excitable, it is called depolarization
 It is caused by factors like:

 Stretch

 Acetylcholine released from parasympathetic ending

 Specific GIT hormones

HYPERPOLARIZATION OF GI SMOOTH
MUSCLE
 When potential becomes more negative and muscle fiber
becomes less excitable, it is called hyperpolarization
 It is causes by factors like:

 Epi-nephrine and nor-epinephrine

 Stimulation of sympathetic nerves

CONTRACTIONS IN GIT SMOOTH
MUSCLE
 Two types of contractions occur in GIT Smooth muscles:
1. Tonic Contractions
2. Phasic Contraction – these occur in esophagus, gastric
antrum and small intestine which contract and relax
periodically
TONIC CONTRACTION
 Tonic contraction is continuous partial state of contraction in
GIT smooth muscle
 It is sometimes caused by continuous repetitive spike potentials

 It is also caused by hormones or other factors that bring about

continuous partial depolarization of the smooth muscle
membrane without causing action potential
 A third cause is continuous entry of calcium ions into the
interior of the cell
 Tonic contractions occur in lower esophageal sphincter, or at
stomach, and ileocecal and internal anal sphincters.
ENTERIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
 It lies entirely in the wall of the gut, beginning in the
esophagus and extending all the way to the anus
 It is also known as intrinsic nervous sytem

 It is composed of two plexus:

a. Myenteric or Auerbach’s Plexus

b. Meissner’s or Submucosal Plexus
MYENTERIC OR AUERBACH’S PLEXUS

 It lies between longitudinal and circular muscle layers

 It controls GI movements
MEISSNER’S OR SUBMUCOSAL PLEXUS

 It lies in the submucosa

 It controls GI secretion and local blood flow
AUTONOMIC CONTROL OF GIT
PARASYMPATHETIC & SYMPATHETIC
NERVOUS SYSTEM
Parasympathetic NS
Innervation is by Vagus Nerves
& Pelvic Parasympathetic NS
It increases peristalsis
It relaxes sphincters
It increases digestive secretions
Sympathetic NS
Innervation is by T2- L2
segment of spinal cord
It decreases peristalsis
It contracts sphincters
It decreases digestive secretions
GI REFLEXES
GASTROINTESTINAL REFLEXES
1. Reflexes that are integrated entirely within the gut wall enteric nervous system
– gastrointestinal secretion, peristalsis

2. Reflexes from the gut to the prevertebral sympathetic ganglia & then back to
the gastrointestinal tract –
i. gastrocolic reflex- signals from the stomach to cause evacuation
of the colon

ii. enterogastric reflexes- signals from the colon & small intestine to
inhibit stomach motility & stomach secretion

iii. colonoileal reflex- reflexes from the colon to inhibit emptying of

ileal contents into the colon
GI REFLEXES
3. Reflexes from the gut to the spinal cord or brain stem &
then back to the gastrointestinal tract
i. reflexes from the stomach & duodenum to the brain stem & back
to the stomach by way of the vagus nerves to control gastric motor
& secretory activity

ii. pain reflexes that cause general inhibition of the entire

gastrointestinal tract

iii. defecation reflexes that travel from the colon & rectum to the
spinal cord & back again to produce the powerful colonic, rectal,
& abdominal contractions required for defecation