GI Tract Secretion and Salivary Glands Quiz

Study Notes

GI Tract Secretion and Salivary Glands

The upper portion of the GI tract includes salivary glands, esophageal glands, gastric glands, pancreas, and Brunner’s glands in the duodenum
Autonomic stimulation, especially parasympathetic and hormonal, plays a vital role in regulating glandular secretion in the stomach and intestine
Gastrointestinal hormones, typically polypeptides or their derivatives, are produced in response to food in the gut lumen, stimulating secretion
Glandular cells secrete organic substances through a process involving diffusion or active transport, energy from ATP, and synthesis occurring in the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complex, and ribosomes
Water and electrolyte secretion involves nerve stimulation, leading to the active transport of chloride ions, resulting in an osmotic force causing the cell to swell and release secretory materials
Mucus, composed of water, electrolytes, and glycoproteins, serves as a lubricant and protectant for the gastrointestinal tract, with different properties in different parts of the tract
Saliva contains serous and mucus secretions, with the principal glands being the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual, and contains high quantities of K+ and HCO3 − ions
Salivary ducts play a crucial role in the two-stage process of salivary secretion, involving active transport processes for reabsorption and secretion of ions
Saliva helps prevent deteriorative processes by washing away pathogenic bacteria and food particles and containing factors that destroy bacteria, proteolytic enzymes, and antibodies
Nervous regulation of salivary secretion involves both parasympathetic and higher brain centers, as well as reflexes in the stomach and upper small intestines
Salivation can be stimulated or inhibited by signals from higher brain centers, particularly the anterior hypothalamus appetite area in response to taste and smell signals
Sympathetic stimulation can increase salivation slightly, and it can also occur in response to reflexes in the stomach and upper small intestines