Digestive System Anatomy and Physiology

Digestive System Overview

• Chewing food is best described as mechanical digestion.
• Food moves through the digestive system from the mouth towards the anus because of peristalsis.
• Food moves through the esophagus to the stomach.
• Fundus, body, and pylorus are parts of the stomach.
• The stomach mixes and mashes a bolus of food called chyme.
• The appendix can rupture and cause peritonitis.
• The colon forms the large intestine.
• The vagus nerve is the digestive tract's most important nerve.
• Bile is not found in the pancreas.
• The duodenum is the site of most chemical digestion.
• The duodenum and jejunum are the site of absorption for most end-products of digestion.
• A gastrectomy is most likely to cause dumping syndrome.
• The pancreas secretes the most potent digestive enzymes.
• The duodenum, jejunum, and ileum are small intestines.
• The word hepatic refers to the liver.
• The sigmoid is part of the colon.
• The common bile duct empties its contents into the duodenum.
• The lower esophageal sphincter prevents gastric reflux.
• The liver synthesizes clotting factors, stores vitamins, detoxifies drugs, and regulates blood glucose levels.
• The cecum is part of the large intestine.
• The omentum membrane resembles an apron draped over the abdominal organs.
• Enamel, dentin, and cementum are related to the tooth.
• Deciduous, baby, and milk are descriptive for teeth.
• The appendix is attached to the cecum.
• Elimination of gas produced during digestion and released from the anus is called flatulence.

Enzymes & Digestion

• Emulsification is most associated with bile.
• Ptyalin is an enzyme found in saliva.
• Trypsin produces amino acids as its end-product of digestion.
• Amylase produces disaccharides as its end-products of digestion.
• Trypsin is the least characteristic of glucose.
• Gingiva refers to the gums.
• Deglutition refers to swallowing.
• Chyle is found in the lacteals.
• The liver produces bile and secretes it into the hepatic ducts.
• Parotid, sublingual, and submandibular refer to salivary glands.
• The duodenum wall secretes cholecystokinin.
• Gastrin, secretin, and cholecystokinin are hormones.
• Cholecystokinin regulates the secretion of bile.
• The primary function of the stomach is to deliver chyme to the duodenum at the proper rate.
• The duodenum wall secretes disaccharidases.
• The liver is the main organ of drug detoxification.
• The portal vein carries blood rich in digestive end-products to the liver.
• The epiglottis prevents food and water from entering the respiratory passages.
• The roof of the mouth is called the palate.
• The esophagus carries food from the pharynx to the stomach.
• The lower esophageal sphincter allows food to enter the stomach from the esophagus.
• Rugae allow the stomach to expand.
• The ascending colon is located between the cecum and the transverse colon.
• The pyloric sphincter is located between the duodenum and the stomach.
• The ampulla of Vater and the sphincter of Oddi are located between the common bile duct and the duodenum.
• The duodenum is the site where most digestion and absorption occur.
• The duodenum receives partially digested food from the jejunum.

Structures and Functions

• The duodenum contains the villi, microvilli, and brush border cells.
• The cecum, colon, and rectum are parts of the large intestine.
• The liver lobule secretes bile.
• The cystic duct, common bile duct, and hepatic ducts are parts of the biliary tree.
• Increased portal vein pressure is most likely to cause ascites and esophageal varices.
• Trypsin is a digestive enzyme.
• Cholecystokinin is a hormone.
• Trypsin is an enzyme that digests protein.
• Sucrase, maltase, and lactase are disaccharidases.
• Amylases digest carbohydrates.
• Lipase digests fats.
• Hiatal hernia is associated with the base of the esophagus, fundus of the stomach, and diaphragm.
• Esophageal varices are caused by portal hypertension.
• Pyrosis is related to esophageal reflux.
• Hydrochloric acid, intrinsic factor, and gastrin are secreted by the stomach.
• Peristalsis is caused by the contraction of smooth muscle.
• The portal vein does not communicate with the common bile duct.
• A drug that blocks vagal activity slows GI motility and reduces GI secretions.
• An antacid drug exerts its effect in the stomach.
• Pain in the RLQ is most characteristic of appendicitis.
• The sphincter of Oddi is located between the common bile duct and the duodenum.
• Obstruction of the common bile duct causes jaundice.
• Lactose intolerance is a disaccharidase problem.
• Impaired hepatic function often causes plasma drug levels to increase to toxic concentrations.
• Trypsin is least related to fat digestion.
• The esophagus is not involved in the hepatic flexure.
• The ascending colon is not involved in the splenic flexure
• The small intestine does not include the cecum.
• The biliary tree structures do not include the portal vein.

Additional Information

• Salivary glands include the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands.
• The stomach delivers chyme to the duodenum.
• Paralytic ileus is the slowing or cessation of GI motility.
• Gastric function includes secretion of intrinsic factor, secretion of HCl, and delivery of chyme to the duodenum.
• Bile aids in the digestion of fats and achieves emulsification.
• Lipases, proteases, and amylases are digestive enzymes.
• Fat digestion is accomplished by bile and lipase.
• Chyle and bile are most related to fat and lacteals.
• The gallbladder contracts in response to cholecystokinin.
• The liver does not secrete cholecystokinin and secretin
• The pancreas secretes the most potent digestive enzymes and responds to both CCK and secretin.
• The appendix is located in the RLQ.
• The common bile duct empties bile into the duodenum.
• The cecum does not directly connect to the duodenum.
• Relaxation of the sphincter of Oddi allows bile to enter the duodenum from the common bile duct.
• The canaliculi, hepatic duct, and cystic duct are biliary tree structures. -Cholecystokinin (CCK) is secreted by the walls of the duodenum in response to the presence of fat
• The vagus nerve speeds up gut motility and secretion.
• A drug that activates muscarinic receptors increases gut motility and is useful in treating paralytic ileus.
• Gastroenterology is the study of the stomach and intestines.
• Peristalsis is best described as motility.
• The mesentery, mesocolon, and omentum are peritoneal membranes.
• The duodenum is located between the pylorus and the jejunum.
• The esophagus is located between the lower esophageal sphincter and pyloric sphincter.
• Gastric parietal cells secrete HCl and intrinsic factor.
• Most digestion and absorption take place within the duodenum and part of the jejunum.
• CCK (cholecystokinin) is not classified as a lipase.
• Bile is not secreted by the liver lobules into the hepatic portal system.
• The liver secretes most of the plasma proteins, including albumin and many of the clotting factors.
• The pancreas does not have enzymatic secretions that drain into the hepatic portal system.
• Absorption is most related to the microvilli.
• Amylases digest carbohydrates.
• Trypsin produces small peptides and amino acids as digestive end-products.
• Pepsin, trypsin, amylase, and lipase are all digestive enzymes.
• The common bile duct empties directly into the duodenum.
• The hepatic portal system delivers end-products of digestion from the GI tract to the liver via blood.
• Bile goes from the gallbladder to the common bile duct.
• The hepatic flexure, splenic flexure, cecum, and colon are all parts of the large intestine.
• The sphincter of Oddi, ampulla of Vater, and cystic duct are biliary structures.
• Sinusoids are blood vessel structures that allow for the mixing of arterial and venous blood in the liver.
• Chemical digestion of protein begins in the stomach and is completed in the small intestine.
• Starch digestion begins in the mouth.
• The role of HCl in digestion is to unravel proteins so they can be digested by proteases.
• Cellulose is dietary fiber that cannot be digested by humans.