Question | Answer |
The gastrointestinal system (GI) is AKA | the digestive system. |
The gastrointestinal (GI) system prepares food for use by cells through five basic activities: | 1. Ingestion
2. Peristalsis.
3. Digestion.
4. Absorption.
5. Defecation. |
Ingestion involves | taking food into the oral cavity. |
In the first two decades of life the average person will ingest | 9000 tons of food. |
Peristalsis is the | wave like action of the gastrointestinal (GI) system that pushes the food along digestive tract. |
Borborygmos is the | gurgling sound made by the peristaltic movement AKA
bowel sounds (BS). |
Digestion is the | breakdown of food by both chemical and mechanical processes. |
Absorption is the | movement of digested food into the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems for distribution to the body’s cells. |
Defecation is the | elimination from the body those substances that are indigestible and can not be absorbed. |
The journey of food through the gastrointestinal (GI) system takes an average of | 12 hours. |
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is AKA | alimentary canal. |
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a long continuous tube that runs from the | oral cavity to the anus. |
The length of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is approximately | 30 feet. |
Digestion begins in the | oral cavity (mouth). |
Mechanical digestion involves | mastication (chewing). |
The tongue, labiae, and buccae keep the food | between the superior and inferior dentes (teeth). |
Between ages 6 months to 2 years there are | 20 temporary or deciduous teeth. |
By age 13 there are | 32 permanent teeth. |
The 8 anterior (front) teeth are called | incisors |
The next 4 teeth are called | canine or cuspids. |
Canine (cuspids) are used to | tear food. |
The next 8 teeth are called | premolars (bicuspids). |
The next 12 teeth are called | molars (tricuspids). |
The bicuspids and tricuspids are used to | grind food. |
Each tooth is divided into 3 parts called: | 1. The crown.
2. The cervix (neck).
3. The root. |
The crown is the portion above the | gingivae (gums). |
The crown is covered by the hardest substance in the body called | enamel. |
The cervix (neck) of the tooth is the | connection between the crown and root. |
The root is | embedded into the sockets located in the maxilla (superior jaw) and mandible (inferior jaw). |
Chemical digestion occurs in the oral cavity because of the presence of | saliva. |
Saliva contains an antibacterial enzyme called | lysozyme. |
An average production of saliva is | ½ gallon/day. |
Saliva is primarily produced in 3 glands called the: | 1. Parotid glands.
2. Submandibular glands.
3. Sublingual glands. |
The hard palate forms the | anterior part of the roof of the oral cavity (mouth). |
The soft palate forms the | posterior portion of the roof of the oral cavity (mouth). |
Hanging from the posterior border of the soft palate is a cone shaped muscular structure called the | uvula. |
The uvula prevents food from entering the | nasal cavity. |
The tongue is a muscular structure and is covered on the superior surface with projections called | papillae. |
The tongue is connected to the floor of the oral cavity by the | lingual frenulum. |
The anterior (front) two thirds of the tongue is covered with | taste buds. |
The four tastes are | sweet, sour, salty, bitter. |
There are _____ sensory receptors on the tongue. | 9000 |
The pharynx is the | throat. |
The pharynx begins the process of | swallowing (deglutition). |
The esophagus is the | 10 inch tube between the laryngopharynx and the stomach. |
The proximal esophagus passes through the | mediastinum |
The mediastinum is the | space between the lungs. |
The distal esophagus pierces the diaphragm through the | esophageal hiatus. |
The sphincter that connects the esophagus to the stomach is called the | cardiac sphincter (lower esophageal sphincter). |
The stomach is located in the | left upper quadrant (LUQ) of the abdomen. |
The stomach is a bag of muscles designed to | churn, squash, and squeeze food into a liquid. |
The liquid food is called | chyme. |
Chemical digestion occurs in the stomach due to: | 1. HCl.
2. Pepsin. |
HCl stands for | hydrochloric acid |
Pepsin begins the digestion of | protein. |
The stomach is protected from being dissolved by these enzymes due to a | mucus layer. |
In 2 to 6 hours the stomach empties all its contents into the duodenum through the | pyloric sphincter. |
The duodenum is the | first section of the small intestine (bowel). |
The second section of the small intestine (bowel) is the | jejunum. |
The third section of the small intestine (bowel) is the | ileum. |
80% of the absorption of nutrients occurs in the | small bowel (duodenum). |
These nutrients include: | 1. Simple sugars (glucose).
2. Amino acids (protein).
3. Fatty acids.
4. Water.
5. Vitamins.
6. Minerals. |
The ileum empties into the large intestine (bowel) through the | ileocecal valve (sphincter). |
The first section of the large intestine (bowel, colon) is called the | cecum |
A finger-like projection off of the cecum is called the | (vermiform) appendix. |
The appendix is located in the | right lower quadrant (RLQ) of the abdomen. |
More specifically the appendix is located in the | right inguinal (iliac) region of the abdomen. |
The second section of the large intestine (bowel, colon) is called the | ascending colon. |
The ascending colon turns left at the | hepatic flexure. |
The third section of the large intestine (bowel, colon) is called the | transverse colon. |
The transverse colon curves beneath the lower end of the spleen at the | splenic flexure. |
The fourth section of the large intestine (bowel, colon) is called the | descending colon. |
The fifth section of the large intestine (bowel, colon) is called the | sigmoid colon. |
The sixth section of the large intestine (bowel, colon) is called the | rectum. |
Stool (feces) leaves the body through the | anus. |
The act of emptying the rectum is called | defecation (defecate) or
bowel movement (BM). |
The most important function of the large intestine (bowel, colon) is to | absorb water. |
Stool (feces) should be a | semisolid |
Normal stool (feces) should be | brown and formed (Baby Ruth Bar). |
The pancreas is located | posterior to the stomach (retrogastric). |
The pancreas secretes enzymes into the duodenum that will | aid in chemical digestion and neutralize hydrochloric acid (HCl). |
Pancreatic enzymes include: | 1. Amylase.
2. Trypsin.
3. Chymotripsin. |
These enzymes are carried from the pancreas to the duodenum through the | pancreatic duct. |
The pancreas also secretes the hormones | insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream. |
Insulin will allow | glucose to enter the cells. |
Glucagon stimulates the liver to | release stored sugar (glycogen) into glucose. |
Insulin and glucagon regulate and control | blood sugar (BS) levels. |
Pancreatitis can be diagnosed by detecting high levels of | serum amylase. |
The liver is located in the | right upper quadrant (RUQ) of the abdomen. |
The functions of the liver include:1 | 1. Production of heparin, prothrombin, and thrombin which are involved in the coagulation (clotting) mechanism. |
The functions of the liver include:2 | 2. Production of Kupffer’s cells which destroy old erythrocytes (bilirubin) and leukocytes (WBCs). |
The functions of the liver include:3 | 3. Detoxifies poisons (toxins) such as ammonia, alcohol (ETOH), and medications. |
The functions of the liver include:4 | 4. Stores excess glucose as glycogen. |
The functions of the liver include:5 | 5. Stores copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, + K. |
The functions of the liver include:6 | 6. Produces bile. |
Bile is stored and concentrated in the | gall bladder. |
The function of bile is to | emulsify (break up) fats. |
The gall bladder is located | just inferior to the liver. |
Bile is carried from the gall bladder to the duodenum via the | common bile duct. |
LFTs stands for | liver function tests. |
LFTs are used to detect | hepatic (liver) diseases. |
LFTs include:1-4 | 1. Alkaline Phosphatase abbreviated
ALP or Alk. Phos.
2. ALT AKA
SGPT.
3. AST AKA
SGOT.
4. LD AKA
LDH. |
LFTs include:5-9 | 5. Ammonia.
6. Albumin (Alb).
7. Bilirubin (bili) or neonatal bilirubin.
8. Hepatitis A virus (HAV).
9. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). |
LFTs include:10-12 | 10. Hepatitis B surface antibody (Anti-HBs).
11. Hepatitis C virus (HCV).
12. A hepatic function panel (profile) consists of:
a. Albumin (Alb).
b. Bilirubin (bili).
c. Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP).
d. AST (SGOT).
e. ALT (SGPT). |
HBsAg is a test to detect the | Hepatitis B virus (HBV). |
Other tests of the GI system include:1-3 | 1. UGI (upper gastrointestinal) AKA
barium swallow.
2. Lower gastrointestinal (GI) AKA
barium enema (BaE, BE).
3. EGD which stands for
esophagogastroduodenoscopy. |
Other tests of the GI system include:4-6 | 4. GB (gall bladder) series or GB ultrasound.
5. Colonoscopy refers to the
process of viewing the colon (large intestine, bowel).
6. Sigmoidoscopy refers to the
process of viewing the sigmoid colon. |
An UGI and lower GI are referred to as a | GI Series. |