The Digestive System

I. ORGANIZATION & DIGESTIVE PROCESSES gland

A. General Anatomy Esophagus

Longitudinal
organization Stomach

Small Intestine

Large Intestine
 Cross-sectional organization

Mucosa

Enteric
Nervous
System
 Neural Innervation
Dual innervation by ANS

Myenteric Submucosal
Plexus Plexus

The Enteric Nervous

System
Acetylcholine Nor-epinephrine

Post-synaptic
transmitter
Parasympathetic Myenteric Submucosal
nerves Plexus Plexus
B. Functions of Digestive Enzymes
Carbohydrate Digestion

1,4 glycosidic bonds

(glandular
secretions)

Specific
Disaccharidases
(found on surface of intestinal
absorptive cells)
Protein Digestion

(glandular
secretions)

(“mostly” found on surface of

intestinal absorptive cells)
Fat Digestion
a. emulsification (solubilization)
b. enzymatic hydrolysis
 II. Motility in the G.I. Tract
a. Morphology
b. Excitation & Contraction of Smooth Muscle

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 Excitability of intestinal smooth muscle

1. Action potentials due to increased Na+ & Ca2+ permeability

Acetylcholine: Na+ & Ca2+ permeability; tends toward depolarization
(parasympathetic) and increased excitability

Nor-epineprine: [Ca2+ ]i ; both by tighter binding and by efflux

(sympathetic)

2. Syncytial nature of smooth muscle

Gap junctions between cells

3. Mechanism of contraction
No troponin
Phosphorylation-dependent activation of myosin -- MLCK
 Excitability

Experimental data showing

neurotransmitter/hormonal
influence on gastric smooth muscle.
 Excitation-Contraction Coupling
the role of cytoplasmic Ca2+
Myosin kinase (MLCK)inactive
Ca2+ +
calmodulin MLCKactive
ATP + Myosin Myosin-P

Myosin-phophatase

Ca2+ levels regulate MLCK is activated by Ca2+; SM

myosin is P’lated by MLCK;
myosin phosphorylation muscle contracts
 Comparing Smooth muscle and Skeletal muscle
the role of cytoplasmic Ca2+
Phasic Contraction

Big difference in time scale,

1 sec

but principles are the same

Tonic Contraction

Skeletal muscle: a comparison of

twitch activation (dotted lines) and Smooth muscle: a comparison of
tetanic activation (solid lines) twitch activation (Phasic) and
tetanic activation (Tonic)
 Integration of G.I. Smooth Muscle
B. Swallowing & Esophageal Reflex
 Integration of UES
the Swallowing
Reflex
(in primates)

LES, L

Vagal Inhibitory
How is the LES
Fibers regulated?
Vagal Excitatory
Fibers

Pressure
in LES
C. Gastric Motility - 1. Anatomy 2. General functions
Proximal stomach
No basal electrical activity
Slow tonic contraction
LES
High distensibility
Gastric reservoir

(Corpus)

Distal stomach
Basal electrical activity
Peristaltic phasic contractions
Low distensibility
Grinding of solids
fluid
3. Several kinds of motility infuse fluid
out

a. Isotonic Relaxation and Contraction

volume of stomach

tension in
stomach wall

time
b. Peristalsis & Mixing

Peristaltic strength increases: corpus to antrum

Mechanical activity Electrical activity

Intracellular potential (mV)

3

5
c. Gastric Emptying

Propulsion-Retropulsion
mechanism in the antrum
“Quality” of food regulates
gastric emtying

non-digestible spheres
D. Small Intestinal Motility
1. Peristalsis: movement along the tract
2. Segmentation: mix contents to promote digestion & absorption

3. Movements of muscularis mucosae

F. Colon - 1. Anatomy 2. Motility