THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE

PHARYNX,ESOPHAGUS,STOMACH AND
INTESTINE

DR.VICTORINI USHAKI (MD)

 OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson you should be able to

Identify structure and Functions of Pharynx and

Oesophagus
 Describe Structure and Functions of the Stomach
Describe Structure and Functions of the Small
Intestines
Describe Structure and Functions of the Large
Intestines
Structure of the Pharynx and Oesophagus
PHARYNX:
Pharynx: A tube through which a bolus passes when moved from the mouth
to the oesophagus by the process of deglutition
 The pharynx is divided into three parts namely
 Nasopharynx
 Oropharynx
 Laryngopharynx
The Oropharynx is important for digestive system
The wall of the pharynx consists of three layers
These are the Mucosa, Middle layer (Fibrous tissue) and Outer layer
consisting of Smooth muscles involved in swallowing
When food enters the pharynx swallowing is no longer under voluntary
control
Structure of the Pharynx and Oesophagus
THE OESOPHAGUS
The oesophagus is a narrow muscular tube about 25 centimetres long diameter of 2cm,
which starts at pharynx at the back of the mouth
It passes through the thoracic diaphragm, and ends at the cardiac orifice of the stomach
It lies in the median plane in the thorax in front of the vertebral column behind the
trachea and the heart
The oesophagus has 4 constrictions where adjacent structure produce impression
At the beginning approximately 15cm from the incisor teeth and caused by the
cricopharyngeus muscles – upper oesophageal sphincter
Where it crossed by the arch of aorta 22.5cm from the incisor teeth
Where it crossed by the left main bronchus 27.5cm from the incisor
Where it passes through the diaphragm – lower oesophageal sphincter
At the top of the oesophagus, is a flap of tissue called the epiglottis that closes during
swallowing to prevent food from entering the trachea (windpipe)
Structure of the Pharynx and Oesophagus
THE OESOPHAGUS…..
It has four layers; from outside:
 The adventitia
 Muscular layer; the muscles are striated (voluntary) in the upper third and mixed
(striated & smooth) in the middle and smooth (involuntary) in the lower third
 There are two layers:
 The inner is circular
 The outer is longitudinal
 Sub-mucosa layer
Mucosa layer which is made up of stratified squamous epithelium
 Arterial blood supply of the oesophagus is through oesophageal arteries, branches
of thoracic aorta, inferior phrenic arteries and the left gastric branch of the celiac
artery
 Venous drainage is through the azygos and hemiazygos veins
Structure and Functions of the Stomach

The stomach: The most dilated part of the gastrointestinal

tract
Has a J-like shape
 Positioned between the abdominal oesophagus and the
small intestine, the stomach is in the epigastric, umbilical
and left hypochondrium regions of the abdomen
 Its shape and size varies from person to person; even within
the same individual its size and shape change from time to
time depending on its food contents and the moisture of the
body and in adult capacity range from 1.0 to 1.5 litre
Structure and Functions of the Stomach
The stomach is divided for descriptive purposes into four regions by arbitrary
lines drawn on its external surface which are
 The outlet of the stomach (pyloric orifice) is marked on the surface of the organ
by the pyloric constriction and surrounded by a thickened ring of gastric circular
muscle (the pyloric sphincter)
 The pyloric orifice is just to the right of midline in a plane that passes through
the lower border of vertebra LI (the trans pyloric plane)
 Other features of the stomach include:
 The greater curvature, which is a point of attachment for the gastro splenic
ligament and the greater omentum
 The lesser curvature, which is a point of attachment for the lesser omentum
 The cardial notch, which is the superior angle created when the oesophagus
enters the stomach
 The angular incisure, which is a bend on the lesser curvature
 Structure and Functions of the Stomach
The stomach is lined with simple columnar epithelium
 The epithelium forms numerous tube like gastric pits, which are
the opening of the gastric glands
 The epithelial cells of the stomach are of five types
The first type is surface mucous cells which produce mucus, is on
the surface and lines the gastric pits
The remaining four cell types are in the gastric glands
 They are mucous neck cells which produce mucus; parietal
(oxyntic) cells which secrete hydrochloric acid and intrinsic factor
needed for vitamin B12 absorption; Chief (zymogenic) cells which
produce pepsinogen and endocrine cells, which produce regulatory
hormones
 Structure and Functions of the Stomach

Blood supply of the stomach; a rich arterial supply, arise from the
celiac trunk and its branches.
Most of the blood is supplied by anastomoses formed along the
lesser curvature by the right and left gastric arteries and, along
the greater curvature, by the right and left gastro omental artery
(gastroepiploic artery)
The fundus and upper body of stomach receive blood from the
short and posterior gastric arteries branches of the splenic artery
 Venous drainage is through gastric veins parallel the arteries in
position and course
 Functions of the Stomach
Reservoir for food until it is partially digested and moved
further along the GI tract
 Secrete gastric juice to aid in digestion of food
 Breaks food into small particles and mixes them with
gastric juice
Secrete intrinsic factor
 Carries limited absorption
 Produces gastrin hormone
Helps protect body from pathogenic bacteria swallowed
with food
 Structure and functions of the Small
Intestines
The small intestine extends from the pyloric sphincter to the
ileocecal valve
It is highly adapted for digestion and absorption
 Its glands produce enzymes and mucus
The walls of small intestine are composed of four layers of tissues
and there are some modifications of the peritoneum and mucous
membrane
 The surface area of the mucosa is greatly increased by permanent
circular folds, villi and microvilli
Villi are tiny finger like projections of the mucosa layer into
intestinal rumen about 0.5 too 1mm long, the function of villi is for
absorption
 Structure and functions of the Small
Intestines
SMALL INTESTINE
It consists of three parts:
 The duodenum
 The jejunum
 The ileum
 Structure and functions of the Small
Intestines
DUODENUM
Duodenum is the first section of the small intestine
It begins with the duodenal bulb and ends at the ligament of Treitz
 The duodenum also regulates the rate of emptying of the stomach via hormonal
pathways; Secretin and cholecystokinin which are released from cells in the duodenal
epithelium in response to acidic and fatty stimuli present there when the pylorus
opens and releases gastric chyme into the duodenum for further digestion
The duodenum is divided into four sections for the purposes of description
 The first three sections curve in a "C" loop concavity in which the head of the
pancreas lies
 Only the first 2 cm of the superior part is mobile (not covered by peritoneum), the
distal 3cm of the first part along with the rest of the duodenum is retroperitoneal
(immobile)
 The first (superior) part begins as a continuation of the duodenal end of the pylorus
 Structure and functions of the Small
Intestines
DUODENUM
 The second (descending) part of the duodenum begins at the superior
duodenal flexure
 It passes inferiorly to the lower border of vertebral body L3, before
making a sharp turn medially into the inferior duodenal flexure
 The third (inferior/horizontal) part of the duodenum begins at the
inferior duodenal flexure and passes transversely to the left, crossing the
inferior vena cava, aorta and the vertebral column
 The fourth (ascending) part passes superiorly, either anterior to, or to
the right of, the aorta, until it reaches the inferior border of the body of
the pancreas
 Then, it curves anteriorly and terminates at the duodenojejunal flexure
where it joins the jejunum
 Structure and functions of the Small
Intestines
THE JEJUNUM
The jejunum is the middle section of the small
intestine
 In adult humans, the small intestine is usually
between 5.5-6m long, 2.5m of which is the jejunum
 The inner surface of the jejunum, its mucous
membrane, is covered in projections called villi,
which increase the surface area of tissue available to
absorb nutrients from the gut contents
 Structure and functions of the Small
Intestines
THE JEJUNUM
The epithelial cells which line these villi possess even
larger numbers of microvilli
 The villi in the jejunum are much longer than in the
duodenum or ileum
 The jejunum contains very few Brunner's glands (found
in the duodenum) or Peyer's patches (found in the ileum)
 It has many large circular folds in its submucosa called
plicae circulares which increase the surface area for
nutrient absorption
 Structure and functions of the Small
Intestines
The ileum
The ileum is the final section of the small intestine , it is separated from the cecum by the ileocecal valve
The function of the ileum is mainly to absorb vitamin B12 and bile salts and whatever products of
digestion which were not absorbed by the jejunum
The wall itself is made up of folds, each of which has many tiny finger-like projections known as villi on its
surface
In turn, the epithelial cells which line these villi possess even larger numbers of microvilli.
Therefore the ileum has an extremely large surface area both for the adsorption (attachment) of enzyme
molecules and for the absorption of products of digestion
There is no line of demarcation between the jejunum and the ileum
There are, however, subtle differences between the two
 The ileum has more fat inside the mesentery than the jejunum
 The ileum is a paler colour, and tends to be of a smaller caliber as well

While the length of the intestinal tract contains lymphoid tissue, only the ileum has abundant Peyer's
patches, un-encapsulated lymphoid nodules that contain large amounts of lymphocytes and other cells of
the immune system
 Structure and Functions of the Large
Intestine

The large intestine extends from the ileocecal valve to the anus
Its subdivisions include the cecum, colon, rectum, and anal canal
The mucosa contains numerous goblet cells and the muscular is
consists of taeniae coli
The large intestine is the second to last part of the digestive system,
the final stage of the alimentary canal is the anus
It starts in the right iliac region of the pelvis, just at or below the right
waist, where it is joined to the bottom end of the small intestine
From here it continues up the abdomen, then across the width of the
abdominal cavity, and then it turns down, continuing to its endpoint
at the anus
 Structure and Functions of the Large
Intestine

Its length is about 1.5 metres long, which is about one-fifth

of the whole length of the intestinal canal
The following are the parts of the large intestine:
 The cecum or caecum (from the Latin caecus meaning
blind), is a pouch, connecting the ileum with the ascending
colon of the large intestine
 It is separated from the ileum by the ileocecal valve is
considered to be the beginning of the large intestine
 It is also separated from the colon by the cecocolic junction
 Structure and Functions of the Large
Intestine

The ascending colon is smaller in caliber than the cecum, with which it is
contiguous
 It passes upward, from its commencement at the cecum, opposite the
colic valve, to the under surface of the right lobe of the liver, on the right
of the gall-bladder, here it bends abruptly forward and to the left,
forming the right colic flexure (hepatic)
 Hepatic (or the right colic) flexure is the sharp bend between the
ascending and the transverse colon
 The right colic flexure is adjacent to the liver, and is therefore also known
as the hepatic flexure
 The left colic flexure is also known as the splenic flexure (as it is close to
the spleen)
 Structure and Functions of the Large
Intestine

The transverse colon the longest and most movable part of the colon, passes
with a downward convexity from the right hypochondrium region across the
abdomen, opposite the confines of the epigastric and umbilical zones, into the
left hypochondrium region, where it curves sharply on itself beneath the lower
end of the spleen, forming the splenic or left colic flexure
 Toward its splenic end there is often an abrupt U-shaped curve which may
descend lower than the main curve
 The descending colon passes downward through the left hypochondrium and
lumbar regions, along the lateral border of the left kidney
 At the lower end of the kidney it turns medial-ward toward the lateral border of
the psoas muscle, and then descends, in the angle between psoas and quadratus
lumborum, to the crest of the ilium, where it ends in the sigmoid colon
 It is smaller in caliber and more deeply placed than the ascending colon
 Structure and Functions of the Large
Intestine

 The sigmoid colon (pelvic colon; sigmoid flexure) is the part of the
large intestine that is closest to the rectum and anus
 It forms a loop that averages about 40 cm. in length, and normally lies
within the pelvis, but on account of its freedom of movement it is liable
to be displaced into the abdominal cavity
 It begins at the superior aperture of the lesser pelvis, where it is
continuous with the iliac colon, and passes transversely across the front
of the sacrum to the right side of the pelvis (The name sigmoid means
S-shaped.)
 It then curves on itself and turns toward the left to reach the middle
line at the level of the third piece of the sacrum, where it bends
downward and ends in the rectum
 Structure and Functions of the Large
Intestine

The rectum (from the Latin rectum intestinum, meaning straight

intestine) is the final straight portion of the large intestine and
terminating in the anus
 Its length is about 12 cm long
 Its caliber is similar to that of the sigmoid colon at its commencement,
but it is dilated near its termination, forming the rectal ampulla
 The rectum intestinum acts as a temporary storage site for faeces
As the rectal walls expand due to the materials filling it from within,
stretch receptors from the nervous system located in the rectal walls
stimulate the desire to defecate
 If the urge is not acted upon, the material in the rectum is often
returned to the colon where more water is absorbed
 Structure and Functions of the Large
Intestine

If defecation is delayed for a prolonged period,

constipation and hardened faeces results
 The rectum shortens as material is forced into
the anal canal and peristaltic waves propel the
faeces out of the rectum
 The internal and external sphincters allows the
faeces to be passed by muscles pulling the anus
up over the exiting faeces
 Structure and Functions of the Large
Intestine
 The anus is an opening at the opposite end of the digestive
tract from the mouth
 Its function is to control the expulsion of faeces, unwanted
semi-solid matter produced during digestion
Flow of substance through the anus is typically controlled by
the anal sphincter muscle
NOTE
The peritoneum covers the ascending and descending colon
on the anterior surface and sides, and therefore they are
described as retroperitoneal
The transverse colon and sigmoid colon are intraperitoneal