DIGESTIVE

SYSTEM
 Two Parts
 Alimentary tract
 Consists of a long muscular tube beginning from the lips to the
anus
 Accessory organs
 Salivary glands
 Liver
 Biliary tract
 Pancreas
General Histology of GIT
4 Layers

 Mucosa
 Submucosa

 Tunica muscularis

 Serosa
Mucosa
 Lining epithelium
 Lamina propria: highly vascular loose CT;

contains fibroblasts, reticular and elastic

fibers, macrophages, aggregates of lymphoid
tissue
 Muscularis mucosa: consists of thin 2 layers of

smooth muscles with inner layer oriented

circumferentially and the outer longitudinally
(ICOL)
Submucosa

 Layer of dense CT containing many blood

vessels and a plexus of sympathetic nerves
called Meissner’s plexus which controls the
intrinsic motility of the walls of the GIT
Tunica muscularis

 Composed of 2 moderately thick layers of

smooth muscles, ICOL
 Between the layers is a second sympathetic

nerve plexus called Auerbach’s plexus

which coordinates the peristaltic
contractions
Serosa
 Outermost layer consisting of
mesothelium which lines the abdominal
cavity and covers the organs. Rich in BV,
lymphatics and adipose
 For most of its length, the GIT is suspended

from the posterior wall of the abdomen by

a mesentery, a very thin sheet of CT
covered on both sides by mesothelium
Oral Cavity
 Serves as the entrance to the digestive tract
 Has a lumen and surrounding coats or layers

 Mucous membrane

 Stratified squamous nonkeratinizing

epithelium
 Lamina propria, muscularis mucosa,

submucosa layers
 Palate

 Pharynx
Lips

 Orbicularis oris skeletal muscle and dense

connective tissue

 3 divisions
 Oral side
 lined by stratified squamous
nonkeratinizing epithelium
Lips
 Skin side
 outer portion covered by typical thin

skin; has hair follicles, sweat glands,

sebaceous glands
 Vermilion border

 red free edge of the lips; hairless very

thin skin, transparent permitting the

blood in the capillaries of the dermis to
impart to it a red color
Tongue

 Freely movable organ attached to the floor of

the mouth and the hyoid bone

 Consists of interlacing bundles of skeletal

muscles
Tongue
 Lining epithelium of tunica mucosa is
stratified squamous epithelium
 Dorsal surface is covered by a relatively thick
epithelium

 Sharp difference between the structure of the

anterior 2/3 and the posterior 1/3
 Boundary between the 2 is marked by a shallow V-
shaped groove, the sulcus terminalis, its apex is
pointing towards the back
Tongue
Anterior 2/3

 Anterior to the sulcus terminalis, the

dorsum is rough covered by numerous
excrescences called lingual papillae
 4 types of lingual papillae

 Filiform
 Fungiform

 Circumvallate

 Foliate – rudimentary in man

 Lingual Papillae

 Filiform papillae
 Most abundant
 Elongated conical in form and slightly curved

 The heavily keratinized cells at the tips of the

papillae are continuously exfoliated

 Epithelium lacks taste buds

 Mechanical role
Lingual Papillae
 Fungiform papillae
 Have narrow base and slightly flattened,
mushroom-shaped
 Scattered taste buds on upper surfaces

 Lightly keratinized

 Less numerous and scattered singly among

the filiform papilla

Lingual Papillae

 Foliate papillae
 Poorly developed in adults
 Parallel ridges and furrows on the sides of

the tongue
 With taste buds
 Lingual Papillae
Circumvallate (vallate) papillae


 Number only 6-14 and are confined to the

posterior part where they are aligned just in
front of the sulcus terminalis
 Largest

 Epithelium on the free surface is smooth and

that on the sides of the papilla contains

numerous taste buds
 total number of taste buds in a single papilla is
average of 250
Taste Buds

 3,000 on the human tongue

 Pale ovoid bodies within the lingual and

oral epithelium
 Each taste bud contain 50-75 cells
 Taste Bud Cells
 Gustatory (taste) cells
 Have long microvilli or apical processes that extends
to the taste pore to the free surface
 Tips of these apical processes are receptors for the

sense of taste
 Lifespan 7-10 days

 Supporting cells
 Slender and immature cells
 Stem cells
 Basal cells which divide and give rise to above cells
5 Basic Taste Sensations

 Sour
 Sweet

 Salty

 Bitter

 Umami
Tongue
Posterior 1/3

 Pharyngeal part or root of tongue

 Surface shows many bulges due to lingual

tonsils and lymphoid nodules

 Lacks papillae
Teeth

 2 sets
 Deciduous or milk teeth: 20
 Permanent or succidaneous teeth: 32
 Teeth
 Parts
 Hard
 Dentin – odontoblasts-type I collagen and GAGs
 Enamel (hardest comp of human body)- ameloblasts

-Hydroxyapatite and 2 CHONS amelogenin and

enamelin
 Cementum – covers the dentin-cementoblasts

 Soft
 Pulp-odontoblasts and fibroblasts
 Periodontal membrane

 Gingiva-mucous membrane bound to bones

PHARYNX
 Lined by stratified nonkeratinized
squamous epith
 3 portions

 Nasopharynx
 Oropharynx

 Laryngopharynx

 Has tonsils and small salivary glands

ESOPHAGUS

 Muscular tube 25 cm long

 Upper, middle, lower third

 Located in the thorax, passing through the

diaphragm to join the stomach, its terminal

2-4 cm is in the abdominal cavity
 For transport of food
ESOPHAGUS
 Stratified squamous, non-keratinizing
 Submucosa has esophageal glands

 Tunica muscularis

 Proximal 3rd is skeletal muscle

 Middle 3rd is combination of skeletal and

smooth
 Distal 3rd is smooth muscle
STOMACH
 The most dilated portion of the GIT
 Mainly for digestion and storage of food

 Transforms ingested food into chyme

 4 regions are distinguished

 cardia
 fundus

 corpus

 pylorus
STOMACH
STOMACH

 Mucosa: simple columnar epithelium

which invaginates into lamina propria
forming gastric pits (foveolae)

 Mucosa and submucosa form

longitudinal folds called rugae
STOMACH: Gastric Glands
 Simple branched tubular
 Each gland has isthmus, neck, base
 5 cell types
 Mucous glands: mucous
 Stem cells

 Chief cells: proteolytic enzyme pepsin

 Parietal cells: HCl and intrinsic factor

 Neuroendocrine cells
 SMALL INTESTINE

 4-7 meters in length

 3 segments

 Duodenum: C-shaped which surrounds the

head of pancreas
 Jejunum: suspended from the dorsal wall

by mesentery and is freely movable

 Ileum: attached to cecum
SMALL INTESTINE
Intestinal Mucosa
 Consist of structures that increase its
absorptive function
 Plicae circularis or valves of Kerkring:
crescentic folds; permanent folds
 Intestinal villi: 0.5-1.5 mm long finger-like

projection of the mucosa

 Crypts of Lieberkuhn: invaginations of the

mucosa (tubular glands) between the bases

of the villi
SMALL INTESTINE
Intestinal Mucosa
 Mucosa is simple columnar epithelium
 Absorptive cells or enterocytes
 Surface have brush border (striated border)

which on E/M are seen as closely packed

microvilli numbering up to 3000 per cell
resulting in a 30-fold increase in its
absorptive function
SMALL INTESTINE
Intestinal Mucosa
 Goblet mucous glands-produce mucin
 Paneth cells –role in immunity

 Enteroendocrine cells secretes various

peptides
 M (microfold) cells-special epith cells

 Brunner (duodenal) glands-alkaline secretions

LARGE INTESTINE
(Colon)

 1.5 meters long

 Segments

 Cecum
 Ascending colon

 Transverse colon

 Descending colon

 Sigmoid colon

 Rectum

 Anus
LARGE INTESTINE
(Colon)
 Mucosa is simple columnar epithelium
with few short irregular microvilli
 Absorptive cells or colonocytes
 No villi
 Numerous goblet cells

 Crypts of Lieberkühn are larger and

longer
 Mainly for water absorption, fecal mass

formation and mucus production

LARGE INTESTINE
(Colon)
 Tunica muscularis: outer longitudinal layer
are grouped into 3 evenly spaced longitudinal
bands called taeniae coli
 Haustra- series of sacs

 Serosa: conspicuous accumulations of

adipose tissue beneath the mesothelium that

forms pendulous protuberances called
appendices epiploicae
APPENDIX

 Evagination of cecum
 6-7 cm long structure attached to

the cecum
 Very small lumen

 Extremely rich lymphoid tissue in

the mucosa and submucosa

GIT ACCESSORY GLANDS/
ORGANS
 SALIVARY GLANDS
 LIVER

 BILIARY SYSTEM

 PANCREAS
SALIVARY GLANDS

 Major Salivary Glands

 Parotid Gland
 Submandibular Gland

 Sublingual Gland
 Parotid Glands

 Largest among the salivary glands

 Subcutaneous location on either side of face

below the ears

 Predominantly serous secretions-amylase

 Stensen’s duct opens on the inside of cheek

opposite the 2nd upper molar

Submandibular Glands

 Located on either side between the mandible

and muscles that form the floor of the mouth
 Predominantly serous secretions+ lysozyme

 Wharton’s duct opens at the floor of the

mouth
 Sublingual Glands

 Located deep in the floor of the mouth near

the frenulum
 Predominantly mucous secretions

 Duct often joins the submandibular gland

 Open at floor of the mouth

 Basis Parotid Submandibular Sublingual

On either side,
Largest;
between the Deep in the floor
subcutaneous;
Location mandible & of mouth near
on either side of
muscles that form frenulum
face below ears
the floor of mouth

Cells of
Exclusively Predominantly Predominantly
secretory
serous serous mucous
piece

Often joins
Duct Stensen’s Wharton’s
submandibular

Inside cheek
Opening of
opposite 2nd Floor of mouth Floor of mouth
duct
upper molar
 LIVER

 Biggest gland in the body located in the

abdominal cavity beneath the diaphragm
 1.5 kg in the adult

 Divided into bigger right and smaller left

lobes
 On its underside, blood vessels and bile ducts

pass through its hilum or porta hepatis

 Liver

 Dual blood supply

 Receiving well oxygenated blood from the
systemic circulation via the hepatic artery
(25%)
 Larger volume (75%) of poorly oxygenated

blood coming from the intestinal tract via the

portal vein
Liver

 Exocrine gland
 Bile
 Endocrine gland
 Proteins
 Glucose

 Fat
 Liver: Structure
 Stroma
 Glisson’s capsule
 Portal triads: small triangular areas

which are thickenings of CT which

enclose
 small bile duct
 branch of the hepatic artery

 branch of portal vein

Liver: Structure


Parenchyma

Liver cells or hepatocytes which
are arranged on hepatic cords or
plates oriented radially from a
central vein (branch of hepatic
vein)
 Liver: Structure
 Parenchyma
 Hepatic sinusoids are found in between
cords or plates: simple squamous
epithelium, Kupffer cells, fat storing cells (Ito
cells)
 Perisinusoidal space (space of Disse),

discontinuous basal lamina that separates

endothelial cells from underlying
hepatocytes
 Liver: Structure
 Parenchyma
 Bile canaliculi: minute canals that run
between liver cells throughout the liver
parenchyma
 Bile drains from canaliculi into terminal

ductules, to interlobular bile ducts (portal

triad), then into the right and left hepatic bile
duct, common hepatic duct joins cystic duct
to form common bile duct
Liver: Classical Lobule

 Polygonal or hexagonal
 Mass of liver parenchyma surrounded by the

central vein
 Portal triads in every corner of the hexagon
Classical Lobule
 Functions of the Liver

 Processing of amino acids, carbohydrates,

lipids, and vitamins
 Removal of microorganisms and toxins

 Synthesis of plasma proteins

 Detoxification and excretion into bile of

endogenous waste products and pollutants

BILIARY TRACT: Gallbladder

 Hollow pear-shaped sacular organ lodged in the

inferior surface of the right lobe of the liver
 10x4 cm; capacity of 40-70 ml bile

 Fundus, body and neck

Gallbladder
 Mucosal lining: simple columnar
 Thin muscularis and absent submucosa

 Cystic duct joins the common hepatic duct to

form the common bile duct which empties

into the 2nd portion of duodenum; opening is
ampulla of Vater
 EXOCRINE PANCREAS

 Transversely-oriented retroperitoneal organ

extending from the “C” loop of the
duodenum to the spleen
 20 cm in length; 85-90 grams

 Head, body and tail

 Exocrine Pancreas: Histology
 Exocrine
 Acinar glands
 Secretes about 1.5-2 L of fluid /day

 Pancreatic juice rich in bicarbonate ions and

digestive enzymes (amylase, lipase,

trypsinogen, proteases, nucleases,
proelastases)
 Duct of Wirsung
Zombie spaghetti!!!