DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

Tanveer Saeed
Assistant Professor
AKU-SONAM
INTRODUCTION

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 BASIC ACTIVITIES OF THE GUT
1. Ingestion : process of eating
2. Propulsion : passing of food down the GI tract
• swallowing : voluntary
• peristalsis : reflex, involuntary, involves alternating
contractions of muscles in body walls of GI organs
3. Mechanical digestion
• prepares food for chemical digestion
• includes chewing, mixing with saliva by tongue
action, churning in stomach...

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BASIC ACTIVITIES OF THE GUT CONT’D

• 4. Chemical digestion
• catabolic steps in which food is broken
down to basic
• building blocks
• accomplished by enzymes in digestive
juices
• 5. Absorption : passage of food particles into the blood-lymph.
• 6. Defecation : elimination of indigestible food substances

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 Organs of Digestive System

mouth
Pharynx

oesophagus

stomach

small intestine

large intestine

rectum
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 The Accessory Organs
• Salivary Glands
• Tongue
• Teeth
• Liver
• Gall Bladder
• Pancreas
• Vermiform
Appendix

The digestive tract is composed mostly of the alimentary canal together with
accessory glands and organs.
• Alimentary canal or GI (gastrointestinal) tract.

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 Arrange the organs
of digestive system 1. Liver is an
in sequence: accessory organ-----
1.Mouth T/F
2.Oesophagus 2. Vermiform
3.Stomach appendix is not an
accessory organ
4. Rectum
T/F
5.Pharynx
6.large intestine
7.Small intestine
General Plan of the Alimentary Canal
 GENERAL PLAN OF THE ALIMENTARY
CANAL
• From esophagus to anus, GI tract has the same
basic arrangement of tissues except these layers
can vary somewhat within the canal.
• There are 4 layers that can be distinguished :
• Mucosa
• Submucosa
• Muscularis
• Serosa

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 Submucosa
MUCOSA
1. It is the inner lining of the tract (
which is thus a mucous membrane)
2. It lies beneath the
and is composed of 3 sub-layers. mucosa and is basically
a. surface epithelium areolar connective tissue
• mainly simple columnar epithelium
consists out of areolar CT
with goblet cells. • highly vascularized
• goblet cells produce mucus that
protects and eases food passage. • contains submucosal
• many enzyme secreting and
plexus or Meissner’s
hormone secreting cells are present plexus(regulates the ANS
as well in the stomach-intestinal activities of mucosa smooth
areas. muscles and controls
b. Lamina Propria secretions by the GI tract.
• areolar CT with many blood
vessels, lymphatic vessels and lymph
nodules.
c. Muscularis mucosae
• layer of smooth muscle fibers for
localized movement of mucosa.

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 MUSCULARIS

3. responsible for the

peristalsis and segmentation
activities 4. Adventitia, Serosa
• contains an inner circular = the visceral
layer and outer longitudinal
layer of smooth muscles. peritoneum
• at several places, they
form sphincters that act as
valves.
• also contains myenteric or
plexus of Auerbach’s : lies
between the two layers of
smooth muscle----controls
peristalsis.
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 GENERAL PLAN OF AC CONT’D
• Digestive tract is located in the abdominopelvic body
cavity.
• All internal organs are surrounded by serous
membranes.
• Peritoneum is the largest serous membrane of the
body that covers the DT.
• Visceral peritoneum lines the external surface of
organs.
• Parietal peritoneum lines walls of the
abdominopelvic cavity
• Area in-between is peritoneal cavity filled with fluid
to ease the frictional activities.

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 MESENTERIES AND THE PERITONEUM
• At certain places , two layers of peritoneum meet
creating a mesentery. This provides an area where
blood vessels and lymph vessels pass through area
where organs are held in place.

• Greater omentum lies anterior to abdominal viscera

Provides padding, protection, insulation, and energy
reserves.
• Lesser omentum stabilizes the position of the
stomach and provides an access route for blood
vessels and other structures to the liver.
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MESENTERIES AND THE PERITONEUM

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 http://www.westga.edu/~lkral/peristalsis/ind
PERISTALSIS ex.html

The circular
layer squeezes
to produce
segments in
the intestines,
while the
longitudinal
layer causes
the repeated
shortening and
lengthening
called
peristalsis.

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MOUTH
• buccal cavity.
• inner lining is with stratified
squamous epithelium (withstands
friction).

Vestibule: Part between the gums and

cheeks while the space between the
teeth/gums and oropharynx is the
oral cavity proper.

• The lips and cheeks help contain

food during chewing and play a
small role in speech.

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 MOUTH
• Palate forms the roof
of the mouth.

• hard palate anteriorly

and soft palate
posteriorly.

• uvula is part of the

posterior soft palate
and reflexes dorsally to
close off nasopharynx
when swallowing. TANVEER SAEED
 MOUTH CONT’D

•Originating from the upper

end of uvula present four
folds of mucous membrane

•Paltopharyngeal arches
( posterior folds)
•Palatoglossal arches
( anterior folds)

•On each side, between the

arches collection of lymphoid
tissue called palatine tonsils.

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 TONGUE
• Tongue occupies floor of the mouth.
• Attached to hyoid bone by its base.
• Is mostly a mass of skeletal muscle covered with
mucous membrane.
• The lingual frenulum is the fold of tissue that
anchors the tongue to the floor of the oral cavity.
• The root of the tongue contains the lingual tonsil.

• It grips food and mixes it with saliva to form a soft

moist mass called a bolus. It initiates swallowing by
forcing the bolus into the oropharynx.

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 TONGUE CONT’D
Dorsal part of tongue contains papillae,
little projections.
Papillae increase surface area, which
creates friction that can assist in
eating/manipulating foods.

Papillae also contain taste buds.

• Vallate papillae
8-12 arranged inverted V largest

• Fungiform papillae
tip and edges

• Filiform papillae smallest anterior two

third—more numerous

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 TASTE BUDS
•Bitter - Bitter tastes (like the
taste of tonic water) are
mostly sensed towards the
back and rear sides of the
tongue----- Vallate
Salty and sweet - Salty
tastes and sweet tastes (like
sugar) are mostly tasted at
the tip of the tongue-----
fungiform
Sour - Sour tastes (like
lemon juice) are mostly
tasted at the sides of the
tongue, at the middle and
towards the front----filiform

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 TEETH
• Teeth embedded in alveoli or sockets.

Two types of dentition:

• Temporary or deciduous teeth 20---when do they
start appearing?
• Permanent teeth 32
Types of teeth
• MOLARS
• CANINE
• PRE MOLARS
• INCISORS
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 TEETH
•A TOOTH CONSISTS OF
•CROWN ---exposed portion above level of
gums.
•NECK ---constricted junction line of the crown
and root.
•ROOT---1-3 projections embedded in socket.
•Pulp cavity—Enlarged part of cavity in crown
within dentin.
•Pulp---CT containing blood vessels, lymphatic
vessels and nerves.
•Root canal---Narrow extension of pulp cavity in
root.
•Cementum----Bonelike substance that covers
and attaches root to periodontal ligament.
Each tooth contain three layers
• Enamel covering crown
• Dentin calcified CT that gives teeth
their basic shape.
•Root coated with cementum
• Periodontal ligaments hold teeth in
alveoli.
•Enamel---Covering of crown primarily of
calcium phosphate & calcium carbonate.
•Function in mastication of bolus
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 TEETH
•MOLARS—posterior to canines in milk
teeth but in permanent behind
premolars. crush and grind.Upper
molars have four cusps and three roots;
lower molars have have four cusps and
two roots.
•PREMOLARS—first and second
premolars replace deciduous molars,
for crush and grinding food., bicuspid
have two roots.
•CANINE---posterior to incisors---pointed
surfaces for tearing and shredding
food---one root.
•PRE MOLARS
•INCISORS---chisel shape for cutting
food, one root.
Each tooth contain three
layers
• Enamel covering crown
• Dentin calcified CT that gives
teeth their basic shape.
•Root coated with cementum
• Periodontal ligaments hold
teeth in alveoli.
•Enamel---Covering of crown
primarily of calcium phosphate &
calcium carbonate.
•Function in mastication of bolus
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 PRIMARY AND SECONDARY TEETH

4 incisors

A pair of cuspids
( 2 canines)
A pair 1st and 2nd
premolars

A pair of 1st, 2nd and

3rd molars

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 TEETH
Children start with 20 primary teeth deciduous teeth
• Are replaced by 32 teeth of secondary dentition

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 Salivary Glands

 Parotid glands

 Submandibular
glands

 Sublingual glands
 SALIVARY GLANDS

Parotid gland : Submandibular

• largest and located anterior
to the ear
between skin and masseter
muscle
• parotid gland duct run
parallel to zygomatic arch
and opens into mouth close
to second molar
• Mumps is an inflammation
of this gland.
gland:
located beneath the
base of tongue ,on
medial aspect of
mandible.
Sublingual gland :
under tongue and
superior to
submandibular gland.

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 SALIVARY GLANDS
CONT’D
• Saliva ( secretion of Salivary Glands)
• 99 % water
• 1% solutes
• solutes are electrolytes, proteins ( mucin), blood clotting factors, IgA ( antibody ) ,lysozyme,
salivary amylase.
• Saliva is slightly acidic ( 5.4-7.5)

Optimum pH for salivary amylase action is 6.8

• salivary amylase breaks down polysaccharides in to
diasaccharides.
average output of saliva is 1000 ml -1500 ml per day
• food intake stimulates chemoreceptors which
stimulates salivatory nuclei in brainstem.

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Parasympathetic increases secretion of watery
flow.
Sympathetic stimulation decreases saliva
secretion.
 FUNCTION OF SALIVA
1. Moistens and cleanses the mouth.
2. Dissolves food particles. Allows them to stimulate
taste buds.
3. Moistens food facilitating its formation into a
bolus.
4. Mucus lubricates the bolus facilitating swallowing.
5. Contains enzymes that begin chemical digestion
of starch.

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