Anatomy of The Digestive System-Notes

The Anatomy of Digestive System
 By: Dr. Ndukui James

 For: BSc. Nursing students
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Objectives
 Discuss the general functions and anatomy of the digestive tract
 Describe the individual organs of the system, including a discussion of the

gross and microscopic anatomy.
 Describe peristalsis, and state its function.
 Describe the wall of the small intestine, and relate its anatomy to nutrient
absorption.
 Name the hormones produced by the alimentary canal that help control
digestive secretions.
 Name five accessory organs of digestion.
 Describe the location, anatomy, and functions of the pancreas, the liver, and the
gallbladder.

Function
The function of the system as a whole is
Individual parts processing food in such a way that high
function in:
energy molecules can be absorbed and
 ingestion residues eliminated.
 mechanical digestion
 chemical and enzymatic digestion
 secretion
 absorption
 compaction
 excretion and elimination
PowerPoint® Lecture Slides prepared by Vince Austin, University of Kentucky Digestive consists of:
Muscular,
Human hollow& tube
Anatomy (= “digestive
Physiology, tract”)
Sixth Edition
+ N. Marieb
Elaine
Various accessory organs
Digestive System: Overview
 The alimentary canal or gastrointestinal (GI) tract digests

and absorbs food
 Alimentary canal – mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach,
small intestine, and large intestine
 Accessory digestive organs – teeth, tongue, gallbladder,
salivary glands, liver, and pancreas

Digestive System: Overview
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 23.1
Digestive Process
The GI tract is a “disassembly” line:

 Nutrients become more available to the body in each step
There are six essential activities:
 1) Ingestion, 2) propulsion, and 3) mechanical digestion
 4) Chemical digestion, 5) absorption, and 6) defecation

Digestive Process
Figure 23.2
Gastrointestinal Tract Activities
 1) Ingestion – taking food into the digestive tract

 2) Propulsion – swallowing and peristalsis
 Peristalsis – waves of contraction and relaxation of
muscles in the organ walls
 3) Mechanical digestion – chewing, mixing, and churning
food

Peristalsis and Segmentation
Esophagus
Intestine
Figure 23.3
Gastrointestinal Tract Activities
 4) Chemical digestion – catabolic breakdown of food

 5) Absorption – movement of nutrients from the GI tract to
the blood or lymph
 6) Defecation – elimination of indigestible and unabsorbed
solid wastes

Peritoneum and Peritoneal Cavity
Peritoneum – serous membrane of the abdominal cavity

 Visceral peritoneum – covers external surface of most
digestive organs
 Parietal peritoneum – lines the body wall
Peritoneal cavity
 Lubricates digestive organs
 Allows them to slide across one another

Figure 23.5a
Mesentery – double layer of peritoneum that provides:
 Vascular and nerve supplies to the viscera
 A means to hold digestive organs in place and store fat

Blood Supply: Splanchnic Circulation
Arteries and the organs they serve include:

 The hepatic, splenic, and left gastric: spleen, liver, and
stomach
 Inferior mesenteric and superior mesenteric: small and
large intestines
Hepatic portal circulation:
 Collects nutrient-rich venous blood from the digestive
viscera
 Delivers this blood to the liver for metabolic processing
and storage

Histology of the Alimentary Canal
From esophagus to the anal canal the walls of the GI tract have
the same four tunics. From the lumen outward they are the:
 1. mucosa
 2. submucosa
 3. muscularis externa
 4. serosa
 Each tunic has a predominant tissue type and a specific
digestive function

Histology of the Alimentary Canal
Histological Organization
1
Tube made up of 2
four layers.
Muscularis
Modifications along 3 externa
its length as
needed.
4

The 4 Layers of the Gut
1) Mucosa
Epithelium – usually simple columnar with goblets; may be stratified squamous if
protection needed
Lamina propria - connective tissue deep to epithelium
Muscularis mucosae -produces folds - plicae (small intestine) or rugae (stomach)
2) Submucosa – made up of loose connective tissue contains submucosal plexus and

blood vessels
3) Muscularis externa –
smooth muscle, usually two layers (controlled by the myenteric plexus ) -

outer layer: longitudinal
inner layer: circular
4) Serosa
visceral layer of mesentery or adventitia depending on location

Membranes
Peritoneum - generic serous membrane in abdominal cavity
Mesenteries - double sheets of peritoneum, surrounding and
suspending portions of the digestive
organs
 Greater omentum - "fatty apron", hangs anteriorly from

stomach, double layer encloses fat
 Lesser omentum - between stomach and liver
 Mesentery proper - suspends and wraps the small intestine
 Mesocolon - suspends and wraps the colon, parts are
i. transverse mesocolon
ii. sigmoid mesocolon

1. Mucosa
Innermost moist epithelial layer that lines the lumen of the

alimentary canal
 Consists of three layers: a lining epithelium, lamina
propria, and muscularis mucosae
Its three major functions are:
 Secretion of mucus
 Absorption of the end products of digestion
 Protection against infectious disease

Lining epithelium
 Consists of simple columnar epithelium and mucus-secreting
goblet cells
The mucus secretions:
 Protect digestive organs from digesting themselves
 Ease food along the tract
Stomach and small intestine mucosa contain:
 Enzyme-secreting cells

Lamina propria
 Loose areolar and reticular connective tissue
 Nourishes the epithelium and absorbs nutrients
Muscularis mucosae
 smooth muscle cells that produce local movements of mucosa

2. Submucosa – dense connective tissue containing elastic
fibers, blood and lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, and
nerves
3. Muscularis externa – responsible for segmentation and
peristalsis
4. Serosa – the protective visceral peritoneum
 Replaced by the fibrous adventitia in the esophagus

Oral Cavity
 Also called buccal cavity - lined

with oral mucosa (type of epithelium
?)
 Hard and soft palates - form roof of
mouth
 Tongue - skeletal muscle
 Salivary glands - three pairs
 Teeth
Three pairs of Salivary Glands
1-1.5 l / day for

digestion (?)
lubrication (swallowing)
moistening (tasting)
 Parotid – lateral side of face, anterior to ear, drain by parotid duct

to vestibule near 2nd upper molar
 mumps
 Submandibular – medial surface of mandible – drain near lingual

frenulum drain posterior to lower molars
Copyright
Sublingual – in floor of mouth - drain near frenulum
© 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings
Mouth
Oral or buccal cavity:

 Is bounded by lips, cheeks, palate, and tongue
 Has the oral orifice as its anterior opening
 Is continuous with the oropharynx posteriorly
To withstand abrasions:
 The mouth is lined with stratified squamous epithelium
 The gums, hard palate, and dorsum of the tongue are
slightly keratinized

Mouth
1. cheeks
2. lips (labia), labial frenulum (attach to gums)

3. hard palate - anterior part of roof of mouth (palatine bones)
4. soft palate - posterior of roof of mouth (mucous membrane)
5. uvula - hanging portion of soft palate (punching bag)
6. palatoglossal arch & palatopharyngeal arch
a. palatine tonsils between arches

Anatomy of the Oral Cavity: Mouth
Figure 23.7a
Oral Cavity and Pharynx: Anterior View
Figure 23.7b
Tongue
Functions include:
 Gripping and repositioning food during chewing
 Mixing food with saliva and forming the bolus

 Initiation of swallowing, and speech
Note: Lingual frenulum secures the tongue to the floor of
the mouth

Tongue
Superior surface bears three types of papillae:

 Filiform – give the tongue roughness and provide friction
 Fungiform – scattered widely over the tongue and give it
a reddish hue
 Circumvallate – V-shaped row in back of tongue

Tongue
Figure 23.8
Salivary Glands
 Parotid – lies anterior to the ear between the masseter

muscle and skin
 Parotid duct – opens into the vestibule next to the second
upper molar
 Submandibular – lies along the medial aspect of the
mandibular body
 Sublingual – lies anterior to the submandibular gland under
the tongue

Salivary Glands
Figure 23.9a
Permanent Teeth
Figure 23.10.2
Classification of Teeth
Teeth are classified according to their shape and function:

 Incisors – chisel-shaped teeth adapted for cutting or
nipping
 Canines – conical or fanglike teeth that tear or pierce
 Premolars (bicuspids) and molars – have broad crowns
with rounded tips and are best suited for grinding or
crushing
 During chewing, upper and lower molars lock together
generating crushing force

Tooth Structure
a. crown - above the level of the gums
b. root - one to three projections into socket
c. neck - between crown and root on gumline
d. dentin - hard shell of tooth
e. pulp cavity - center of tooth
f. pulp - lymph, blood, nerve, connective tissue
g. root canal - passage through roots to the pulp
i. apical foramen - opening at the base
h. enamel - covers the dentin on the crown
i. cementum - covers dentin on the root

Tooth Structure
Figure 23.11
Esophagus
 Muscular tube going from the laryngopharynx to the

stomach
 Travels through the mediastinum and pierces the diaphragm
 Joins the stomach at the cardiac orifice

Stomach
- Chemical breakdown of proteins begins and food is converted

to chyme
 Cardiac region – surrounds the cardiac orifice
 Fundus – dome-shaped region beneath the diaphragm
 Body – midportion of the stomach
 Pyloric region – made up of the antrum and canal which
terminates at the pylorus
- The pylorus is continuous with the duodenum through the
pyloric sphincter

Stomach
 Greater curvature – entire extent of the convex lateral

surface
 Lesser curvature – concave medial surface
 Lesser omentum – runs from the liver to the lesser curvature
 Greater omentum – drapes inferiorly from the greater
curvature to the small intestine
 Rugae - folds in the inner lining of the stomach

Stomach
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 23.14a
Stomach
 Blood supply – celiac trunk, and corresponding veins (part

of the hepatic portal system)

Microscopic Anatomy of the Stomach
Epithelial lining is composed of:

 Goblet cells that produce a coat of alkaline mucus
- The mucous surface layer traps a bicarbonate-rich fluid
beneath it
 Gastric pits contain gastric glands that secrete gastric juice,
mucus, and gastrin

Microscopic Anatomy of the Stomach
Figure 23.15
Gastric glands of the fundus and body have a variety of
secretory cells
 Mucous neck cells – secrete acid mucus
 Parietal cells – secrete HCl

Small Intestine: Gross Anatomy
 Runs from pyloric sphincter to the ileocecal valve

 The bile duct and main pancreatic duct join the
duodenum at the hepatopancreatic ampulla
 The ileum joins the large intestine at the ileocecal valve
Has three subdivisions:

1.duodenum
2. jejunum
3. ileum

Small Intestine: Microscopic Anatomy
Structural modifications of the small intestine wall increase

surface area:
 Villi – fingerlike extensions of the mucosa
 Microvilli – tiny projections of absorptive mucosal cells’
plasma membranes

Small Intestine: Microscopic Anatomy
Small Intestine: Histology
The epithelium of the mucosa is made up of:

 Absorptive cells and goblet cells
 Cells of intestinal crypts secrete intestinal juice
 Peyer’s patches are found in the submucosa and are
collections of lymphatic/wbc tissue
 Brunner’s glands in the duodenum secrete alkaline mucus

Gross anatomy of the stomach
Lesser curvature
Greater curvature
Cardia - end under the heart
Fundus - bulge above the esophageal opening
Body - largest region
Pylorus - J curve, inferior end, terminates in
Cardiac and Pyloric sphincters (importance?)
Rugae – highly extendable interior folds Figs 25-10/11

Histology of Stomach
Fig 25.13
Type of epithelium lining stomach?
Gastric pits – shallow pits, external half rapidly reproduces for

replacement
Gastric glands – deep in lamina propria, 3 types of cells

1. Parietal cells (produce HCl and intrinsic factor)
2. Chief cells (produce pepsinogen)
3. Enteroendocrine cells – G cells (several hormones including
gastrin which stimulates both parietal and chief cells)

SIRegions of Small
is longest part Intestine
of dig. tube
 Duodenum (short, 12 inches)

 fixed shape & position
 Mixing bowl for chyme & ?
 Jejunum (2.5 m long)

 Most of digestion
 Ileum (longest at 3.5 m)

 Most of absorption, ends in
 Ileocecal valve – slit valve into large intestine (colon)

Structure of Small Intestinal Wall Fig 25.15
Plicae circulares – circular pleats around the interior of the small

intestine
Villi – minute finger-like projections, contain capillaries & lacteals
Microvilli – sub-microscopic size, projections on single cells
Function of all three?
Intestinal glands (crypts)

 intestinal juice production
 Cell regeneration
Histology in lab

Regions of Large Intestine
Cecum – pocket at proximal end with
Appendix
Colon
Ascending colon - on right, between
cecum and right colic flexure
Transverse colon - horizontal portion
Descending colon - left side, between
left colic flexure and
Fig 25-17
Sigmoid colon - S bend near terminal
end
Rectum – terminal end is anal canal - ending at the anus - which has
internal involuntary sphincter and external voluntary sphincter

Pancreas - structure
posterior to great curvature of the stomach

1. head - enlarged portion in C-curve of the duodenum
2. body - tapers off beneath the stomach
3. tail - terminal part near the end
4. pancreatic duct - merges with bile duct to duodenum
a. hepatopancreatic ampulla (merging of both)
5. accessory duct - empties into duodenum, smaller

Pancreas - histology
1. made of glandular epithelial cells

2. pancreatic islets (of Langerhans) (1% of all cells)
a. hormones: glucagon, insulin, somatostatin
3. acini - (99% of the cells in pancreas)
a. mixture of enzymes called "pancreatic juice"

Liver
 Superficially has four lobes – right, left, caudate, and

quadrate
 The largest gland in the body

Liver: Associated Structures
The falciform ligament:

 Separates the right and left lobes anteriorly
 Suspends the liver from the diaphragm and anterior abdominal
wall
The ligamentum teres:

 Is a remnant of the fetal umbilical vein
 Runs along the free edge of the falciform ligament

Liver
On right under diaphragm, largest organ
made up of 4 lobes (left and right,
caudate, and quadrate)
Hilus (porta hepatis) – underside

"entry" point
Extremely versatile: Know a few functions?
Gall bladder
Blood supply to liver Fig 25.20
Microscopic anatomy: Liver lobules and triads Fig 25.21

Liver: Associated Structures
 The lesser omentum anchors the liver to the stomach

 The hepatic blood vessels enter the liver at the porta hepatis
 gallbladder - rests in a recess on the inferior surface of the

right lobe; stores bile for digestion of fats

Bile
Bile leaves the liver via:

 Bile ducts, which fuse into the common hepatic duct
 The common hepatic duct, which fuses with the cystic
duct
 These two ducts form the bile duct

Gallbladder and Associated Ducts
Figure 23.20
Liver: Microscopic Anatomy
lobules are hexagonal shaped and the structural and functional units
of the liver
 Composed of hepatocyte (liver cell) plates radiating outward
from a central vein
 Portal triads are found at each of the six corners of each liver
lobule
portal triads consist of a bile duct and

 Hepatic artery – supplies oxygen-rich blood to the liver
 Hepatic portal vein – carries venous blood with nutrients
from digestive viscera

Microscopic Anatomy of the Liver
Figure 23.24c, d
 Liver sinusoids – enlarged, leaky capillaries located
between hepatic plates
 Kupffer cells – hepatic macrophages found in liver
sinusoids

Hepatocytes
Hepatocyte functions include:

 Production of bile
 Processing bloodborne nutrients
 Storage of fat-soluble vitamins
 Detoxification

The Gallbladder
 Thin-walled, green muscular sac on the ventral surface of the

liver
 Stores and concentrates bile by absorbing its water and ions
 Releases bile via the cystic duct, which flows into the bile
duct

Large Intestine
 Is subdivided into the cecum, appendix, colon, rectum, and

anal canal
 The saclike cecum:

 Lies below the ileocecal valve in the right iliac fossa
 Contains a wormlike vermiform appendix

Colon
Has distinct regions:

 ascending colon
 hepatic flexure
 transverse colon
 splenic flexure
 descending colon
 sigmoid colon

Large Intestine
Figure 23.29a
Colon
 The transverse and sigmoid portions are anchored

via mesenteries called mesocolons
 The sigmoid colon joins the rectum
 The anal canal, the last segment of the large
intestine, opens to the exterior at the anus

Anus
 internal sphincter - smooth muscle (involuntary)

 external sphincter - skeletal muscle (voluntary)

Mesenteries of Digestive Organs
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 23.30b
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 23.30c
Figure 23.30d

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The Anatomy of Digestive System

 By: Dr. Ndukui James

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Describe the individual organs of the system, including a discussion of the

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 The alimentary canal or gastrointestinal (GI) tract digests

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

The GI tract is a “disassembly” line:

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 1) Ingestion – taking food into the digestive tract

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 4) Chemical digestion – catabolic breakdown of food

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Peritoneum – serous membrane of the abdominal cavity

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Arteries and the organs they serve include:

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

2) Submucosa – made up of loose connective tissue contains submucosal plexus and

smooth muscle, usually two layers (controlled by the myenteric plexus ) -

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Greater omentum - "fatty apron", hangs anteriorly from

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Innermost moist epithelial layer that lines the lumen of the

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Replaced by the fibrous adventitia in the esophagus

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Also called buccal cavity - lined

1-1.5 l / day for

 Parotid – lateral side of face, anterior to ear, drain by parotid duct

 Submandibular – medial surface of mandible – drain near lingual

Oral or buccal cavity:

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

2. lips (labia), labial frenulum (attach to gums)

a. palatine tonsils between arches

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Mixing food with saliva and forming the bolus

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Superior surface bears three types of papillae:

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Parotid – lies anterior to the ear between the masseter

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Teeth are classified according to their shape and function:

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Muscular tube going from the laryngopharynx to the

 Joins the stomach at the cardiac orifice

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

- Chemical breakdown of proteins begins and food is converted

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Greater curvature – entire extent of the convex lateral

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Blood supply – celiac trunk, and corresponding veins (part

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Epithelial lining is composed of:

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Runs from pyloric sphincter to the ileocecal valve

Has three subdivisions: