DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

 

INCLUDES THE DIGESTIVE TRACT   ( ALIMENTARY CANAL )

 

AND

 

THE ASSOCIATED ACCESORY ORGANS ( SALIVARY GLANDS, LIVER, GALLBLADDER, PANCREAS )

  

THE FUNCTIONS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM INCLUDE INGESTION, MECHANICAL PROCESSING, SECRETION, DIGESTION, ABSORPTION, COMPACTION, AND DEFECATION.

 

FOUR MAJOR TISSUE LAYERS COMPOSE THE DIGETIVE TRACT

 

  1. MUCOSA
  2. SUBMUCOSA
  3. MUSCULARIS EXTERNA
  4. SEROSA OR ADVENTICIA

 

MUCOSA

          THREE DISTINCT LAYERS CAN BE IDENTIFIED:

  1. DIGESTIVE EPITHELIUM
  2. LAMINA PROPIA ( connective tissue )
  3. MUSCULARIS MUCOSAE ( thin muscle layer )

 

SUBMUCOSA

          LOOSE CONNECTIVE TISSUE LAYER CONTAINING LARGE BLOOD VESSELS, LYMPHATICS, AND NERVES.

          THE SUBMUCOSA PLEXUS ( between submucosa and muscularis externa ) CONTROL THE TONE OF THE MUSCULARIS MUCOSAE

 

MUSCULARIS EXTERNA

          ARE SEVERAL LAYERS OF SMOOTH MUSCLE TISSUE.

          THE INNER LAYER IS CIRCULAR, THE OUTER LAYER IS LONGITUDINAL.

          THE MUSCULARIS EXTERNA PRODUCES WAVES OF CONTRACTION CALLED PERISTALSIS.

 

SEROSA OR ADVENTITIA

LOOSE CONNECTIVE TISSUE COVERING THAT ATTACHES AND HOLDS THE TRACT IN POSITION

 

THE ORAL CAVITY

          FUNCTIONS OF THE ORAL CAVITY INCLUDE THE ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL FOODS, MECHANICAL PROCESSING, LUBRICATION, AND INITIATING DIGESTION BY SALIVARY ENZYMES.

 

  1. LATERAL WALLS: CHEEKS
  1. ANTERIORLY THEY ARE CONTINUOS WITH THE LIPS
  1. HARD AND SOFT PALATES FORM THE ROOF OF ORAL CAVITY
  1. THE TONGUE OCCUPIES MOST OF THE FLOOR.

 

          ACCESORY STRUCTURES INCLUDE THE SALIVARY GLANDS AND THE TEETH.

          THE LINING OF THE ORAL CAVITY  CONSISTS OF A STRATIFIED SQUAMOUS EPITHELIUM.

 

THE TONGUE

          ASSISTS IN MECHANICAL PROCESSING BY MANIPULATING MATERIALS IN THE MOUTH.

          A V-SHAPED LINE OF CIRCUMVALLATE PAPILLAE MARKS THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN THE BODY AND THE ROOT OF THE TONGUE.

  

THREE MAJOR PAIRS OF SALIVARY GLANDS PRODUCE THE MAJORITY OF THE SALIVA  (1-1.5 lts/day ), ENZYMES AND MUCUS OF THE ORAL CAVITY

 

  1. THE PAROTID
  2. THE SUBMANDIBULAR GLAND
  3. THE SUBLINGUAL GLAND

 

 

THE PAROTID

          LARGEST SALIVARY GLAND

          LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE EAR, BETWEEN THE SKIN  AND MASSETER MUSCLE.

          SECRETION IS A CLEAR WATERY FLUID, IT CONTAINS THE DIGESTIVE ENZYME SALIVARY AMYLASE

 

THE SUBMANDIBULAR GLAND

          LOCATED UNDER THE MANDIBLE

          SECRETIONS ARE THICKER BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE OF MUCIN ( help to keep food in a “bolus” for swallowing )

          THE DUCT OPENS NEAR THE LINGUAL FRENULUM.

 

THE SUBLINGUAL GLAND

          LOCATED UNDER THE TONGUE

          SALIVA IS SECRETED INTO NUMEROUS LESSER SUBLINGUAL DUCTS ALONG THE BASE THE TONGUE.

          IT IS PRIMARILY A MUCOUS GLAND

 

THERE ARE FOUR PRINCIPAL GROUPS OF SMALLER SALIVARY GLANDS IN THE MOUTH:

 

  1. PALATINE GLANDS
  2. LINGUAL GLANDS
  3. BUCCAL GLANDS
  4. LABIAL GLANDS

 

THE TEETH

          PERMIT MASTICATION OF MATERIALS IN THE MOUTH.

          HUMANS HAVE TWO SETS OF TEETH DURING THEIR LIFETIME, THE FIRST BEING THE DECIDUOUS WHICH ARE REPLACED BY THE PERMANENT DENTITION.

          DENTIN FORMS THE BASIC STRUCTURE OF A TOOTH.

          THE CROWN IS COATED WITH ENAMEL, AND THE ROOT WITH CEMENT.

          THE PERIODONTAL LIGAMENT ANCHORS THE TOOTH IN AN ALVEOLAR SOCKET.

          THERE ARE 20 “MILK” TEETH ( FIVE IN EACH CUADRANT )

 

  1. Central incisor
  2. Lateral incisor
  3. Cuspid or canino
  4. First molar
  5. Second molar

 

          THE PERMANENT DENTITION CONSISTS OF 32 TEETH

 

  1. Central incisor
  2. Lateral incisor
  3. Cuspid or canino
  4. First premolar
  5. Second premolar
  6. First molar
  7. Second molar
  8. Third molar ( wisdom tooth

 

THE PHARYNX

          IS A COMMON PASAGEWAY FOR NUTRIENTS AND AIR.

          IS DIVIDED IN : NASOPHARYNX, OROPHARYNX, AND LARYNGOPHARYNX.

          PROPULSION OF THE BOLUS RESULTS FROM THE CONTRACTIONS OF THE PHARYNGEAL CONSTRICTORS AND THE PALATAL MUSCLES.

 

THE ESOPHAGUS

          CONNECTS PHARYNX WITH STOMACH

          IT IS INFERIOR TO PHARYNX AND POSTERIOR TO THE TRACHEA.

          IT IS APROXIMATELY 25 CMS LONG.

          ESOPHAGEAL GLANDS PROVIDE ADDITIONAL LUBRICATION.

          IT PIERCES THE DIAPHRAGM AT THE ESOPHAGEA HIATUS  TO CONNECT WITH THE STOMACH AT ABDOMINAL CAVITY.

          AT THE STOMACH THE ESOPHAGUS TERMINATES IN A LOWER ESOPHAGEAL SPHINCTER

 

THE STOMACH

SERVES AS A BULK STORAGE AREA, AND BREAKS DOWN INGESTED FOODS WITH A COMBINATION OF MECHANICAL STRESS, ACID SECRETION, AND ENZYMATIC DGESTION

 

IMPORTANT LANDMARKS

          LESSER AND GREATER CURVATURES

          THE CARDIA

          THE FUNDUS

          THE BODY

          THE PYLORUS

          THE PYLORIC SPHINCTER

          IS HIGHLY DISTENSIBLE, AND IN THE RELAXED STATE THE LINING IS THROWN INTO FOLDS CALLED RUGAE

          A PAIR OF MESENTERIES SUPPORT THE STOMACH: THE GREATER OMENTUM AND THE LESSER OMENTUM

 

THE MUSCULARIS EXTERNA OF THE STOMACH CONTAIN THREE LAYERS OF SMOOTH MUSCLE INSTEAD OF TWO. ( ONE OBLIQUE LAYER, ONE CIRCULAR, AND ONE LONGITUDINAL LAYER )

 

THEY CONTRACT AND CHURN STOMACH CONTENS

 

          PARIETAL CELLS SECRETE INTRINSIC FACTOR AND HYDROCHLORIC ACID.

          CHIEF CELLS SECRETE PEPSINOGEN

          ENTEROENDOCRINE CELLS SECRETE SEVERAL COMPOUNDS, NOTABLY THE HORMONE GASTRIN

 

THE SMALL INTESTINE

          INCLUDES THE DUODENUM, THE JEJUNUM, AND THE ILEUM.

          IS APROXIMATELY 21 FT. LONG.

          THE INTESTINAL LINING IN THESE AREAS BEARS PERMANENT TRANSVERSE FOLDS, CALLED PLICAE, THAT INCREASE THE SURFACE AREA FOR ABSORPTION.

 

SMALL INTESTINE IS THE SITE OF MOST DIGESTIVE AND ABSORPTIVE ACTIVITIES

 

THE SMALL INTESTINE JOIN THE LARGE INTESTINE AT THE ILEOCECAL VALVE, THAT EMPTIES INTO THE CECUM OF THE LARGE INTESTINE.

 

THE LARGE INTESTINE

THE LARGE INTESTINE REABSORBS WATER, AND SOME VITAMINS AND NUTRIENTS, COMPACTS THE FECES, AND STORES FECAL MATERIALES.

 

          IS DIVIDED INTO THE COLON AND THE RECTUM.

          IT IS APROXIMATELY 5 FT LONG

          IS ALSO DISTINGUISHED BY BEARING PROMINENT HAUSTRA AND MUSCULAR TAENIA COLI

 

IMPORTANT LANDMARKS

          CECUM

          APPENDIX

          ASCENDING, TRANSVERSE, AND DESCENDING COLON

          SIGMOID COLON

          RECTUM AND ANUS

 

THE LIVER

 

          LOCATED MOSTLY IN THE RIGHT HYPOCHONDRATIC REGION, INFERIOR TO THE DIAPHRAGM.

          PERFORMS METABOLIC AND HEMATOLOGICAL REGULATION. IT ALSO SYNTHESIZES AND EXCRETES BILE

 

THE LIVER HAS FOUR MAJOR LOBES

 

  1. RIGHT LOBE
  1. LEFT LOBE
  1. QUADRATE LOBE
  1. CAUDATE LOBE

 

EACH LOBE IS DIVIDED INTO THOUSANDS OF SMALLER LOBULES LIVER CELLS ( HEPATOCYTES ) MANUFACTURE AND SECRETE BILE INTO SMALL DUCTS (bile canaliculi) WHICH THE EMPTY INTO bile ductules, AND TO HEPATIC DUCTS, AND FINALLY INTO THE SINGLE

HEPATIC DUCT

 

THE GALLBLADDER

          LOCATED INFERIOR TO THE RIGHT LOBE OF THE LIVER.

          IT IS A SMALL, MUSCULAR SAC THAT STORES AND CONCENTRATE BILE SALTS.

 

THE PANCREAS

          LIES BETWEEN STOMACH AND DUODENUM.

          HAS A HEAD, BODY AND TAIL.

          A SINGLE PANCREATIC DUCT ENTERS THE DUODENAL WALL.

          EXOCRINE PANCREAS PRODUCES LIPASES, CARBOHYDRASES, AND PROTEOLYTIC ENZYMES.

          THE PANCREATIC DUCT BEGIN AT THE PACREATIC ACINI. THE ENDOCRINE PANCREATIC ISLETS ARE SCATTERED BETWEEN THE ACINI