Digestive Tract

A journey through
The Alimentary Canal

Digestive Tract
a) Oral Cavity
b) Tubular Tract
c) Major Digestive Glands

Digestive Tract
Functions:
a) physical treatment mastication
b) secretion water, bicarbonate, enzymes
c) chemical treatment - digestion
d) transportation - swallowing, peristalsis.
e) absorption assimilation
f) elimination - defecation

Oral Cavity
Lips - skeletal muscle embedded between
a) inner fibroelastic areolar (lamina
propria) covered with non-cornified
stratified squamous epithelial mucosa,
continuous with cheek (same except
addition of sub-mucosa in cheek).
b) outer fibroconnective CT (dermis);
covered with cornified strat. squamous
epithelium (epidermis).
No hair or glands, moistened only by
licking

Oral Cavity
Tongue - skeletal muscle core covered with
mucosa.
Upper surface rough, non-cornified stratified
squamous epithelium with papillae.
Upper surface divided into two regions:
1) lingual tongue - free, distal half covered with
tall hair-like papillae in rows on anterior center of the
tongue (filiform);
mushroom shaped papillae on tip of tongue
(fungiform);
leaf-shaped papillae on side of tongue (foliate) poorly developed in humans.

Tongue
2) lymphoid tongue - basally attached zone;
separated from the lingual by a V-shaped
groove (sulcus = pit; Sulcus terminalis).
Large papillae line the back margin of the
pit; each papilla is surrounded by a moat
(ditch) - Circumvallate papillae 7-12 in
number.

Taste Bud

Salivary Glands
Secrete saliva (water, salts, mucin, lysozyme, and
amylase) into the oral cavity.
Function in lubrication, starch digestion and
anti-microbial action.

Three glands
1. Parotid
2. Submandibular
3. Sublingual

Salivary Glands
Parotid Gland - largest salivary gland;

Paired, anterior and below the ear;

DICT capsule with many septa.
Parenchyma of simple cuboidal serous cells;
Myoepithelium around acini.

Ducts - 3 levels:
1) intercalated - small, most abundant; simple
cuboidal epithelium. Intralobular.
2) striated - larger, fewer; simple columnar
epithelium with basal striations. Intralobular.
3) excretory - largest; empty into the oral cavity;
columnar -> pseudostratified columnar ->
stratified columnar epithelium. Interlobular.

Parotid Gland

Salivary Glands
Submandibular (Submaxillary) Gland Paired; below the ramus of the mandible;
Parenchyma mostly of serous with some mucous
cuboidal epithelium
Striated ducts more prominent.

Sublingual Gland
Group of small glands on the floor of the oral cavity
beneath the tongue.
Each glandular body has its own ductule system.
Parenchyma mixed with mostly mucous cuboidal.
Intercalated ducts reduced in length and number.

Teeth
32 in adult: derived from ectoderm and mesoderm.
Two major parts:
a) Crown - exposed above gum (gingiva).
Enamel outer surface; dentin middle
layer; dental pulp cavity interior.
b) Root - embedded in gum (gingiva).
Cementum outer surface; dentin middle
layer; dental pulp cavity interior.

Teeth
Tooth is firmly attached to jawbone by Periodontal
Ligament of DICT
a) Dentin - harder than compact bone;
- mostly inorganic salt (72%), Collagen, GAGs
- permeated by many canals = Dentinal Tubules;
- tubules occupied by odontoblast processes
(Tome's Fibers) of odontoblast cells.
Odontoblasts from neural crest.

Teeth
b) Enamel hardest substance in the body.
96% inorganic salts; secreted in alternating
layers of enamel rods (prisms) of inorganic
salts, and interrod matrix of inorganic salts and
amelogenins.
Enamel secreted by ameloblasts
Ectodermal in origin.
Enamel grows by layers = Lines of Retzius.

Dentin Tubules

Odontoblast Processes

Teeth
c) Cementum - covers dentin of the root; similar to
bone. Upper 1/3 is cell-less; lower 2/3 may have
osteons (w/o Haversian System and blood
vessels) and cementoblasts-cementocytes in
lacunae
Formed by cells from the periodontal membrane.
Periodontal Membrane - modified periosteum occupies the space between the root and
jawbone; contains white fibers only. Fibers
embed in cementum as Sharpy's Fibers.

Teeth
Dental Pulp - cellular matrix with fibers; like
mucoid CT;
Odontoblasts line the inner dentin surface.
A single arteriole, venule and nerve are
present.

Pharynx
Transition between oral cavity,
tubular digestive tract, and
respiratory tract.
Stratified non-keratinized squamous
epith.
Ciliated pseudostratified columnar
(with goblet cells) in area close to
nasal cavity
Contains tonsils
Numerous small mucous salivary
glands
Constrictor and longitudinal
(swallowing) muscles

Tubular Digestive Tract

Layers:
1) Mucosa a) epithelium
b) lamina propria
c) muscularis mucosa
2) Submucosa
3) Muscularis Externa a) inner circular layer
b) outer longitudinal layer
4) Serosa

Four Layers
Mucosa
a) epithelium - mucous membrane; irregular
surface; forms many glands, various tissue
types.
b) lamina propria - areolar CT; thick layer, houses
glands; forms villi; contains many lymphoid
collections.
c) muscularis mucosa - 2 thin smooth muscle
layers; inner circular and outer longitudinal.

Four Layers
Submucosa - areolar to fibroconnective CT; deep
and thick; has many large blood vessels and
autonomic ganglia = Submucosal Plexus
(Meissner).
Muscularis Externa - thick smooth muscle layers;
Inner circular and outer longitudinal; third
diagonal layer added in the stomach.
Terminal Ganglia present between the layers =
Myenteric Plexus (Auerbach).

Four Layers
Serosa - dense areolar CT;
if in body cavity and covered with simple
squamous epithelium = mesothelium
(serous membrane).