INTESTINAL PHASE OF DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION

Mrs Viniba Srigunan

Lecturer - Physiology

www.gmu.ac.ae COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

 DIGESTIVE ACTIVITIES IN SMALL INTESTINE

The chemical digestion in small intestine is through enzymes from

• Pancreas
• Bile (liver)
• Intestine
Intestinal Digestion

depend mainly on: pancreatic

enzymes and bile

2
 Digestive action of pancreatic enzymes

Pancreatic secretion contains enzymes for digestion of proteins, carbohydrates

and fats
Type of food Digestive enzymes Action
Trypsin and Chymotrypsin Split whole and partially digested proteins
into peptides
Protein
Carboxypeptidase Split peptides into individual amino acids
Elastase Digests elastin fibers in meat
Hydrolyses starch and glycogen to form
Pancreatic amylase disaccharides and trisaccharides
Carbohydrate
Pancreatic lipase Hydrolyses fats into fatty acids and glycerol
Fat Cholesterol esterase Causes hydrolysis of cholesterol esters
Phospholipase Splits fatty acids from phospholipids
 Pancreatitis

 Pancreatitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the pancreas

 The differential diagnosis for pancreatitis requires 2 of the 3 following criteria:

 Characteristic acute onset of epigastric or vague abdominal pain that may radiate to
the back
 Serum amylase or lipase levels ≥ 3 times the upper limit of normal
 An imaging study like CT, MRI, abdominal ultrasound or endoscopic ultrasound can
be used for diagnosis.
 SECRETIONS OF LIVER - BILE

 600 – 1000 ml of bile secreted per day

 Secreted by the hepatocytes (Functional cells of the liver)
 Contains water, bile salts,cholesterol,fatty acids, electrolytes and bilirubin

Functions of bile
 Bile salts emulsify the large fat particles into many minute particles in the intestine
 Bile salts helps in the absorption of fatty acids and monoglycerides from intestine

5
 GALL BLADDER

 Gall bladder stores and concentrates bile.

 Secreted into duodenum when significant quantities of fatty foods are present

Mechanism of gall bladder emptying

 Rhythmical contraction of gall bladder

and
 Simultaneous relaxation of sphincter of Oddi
(this sphincter guards the exit of bile duct into duodenum)

6
GALL BLADDER

7
 CHOLELITHIASIS

 A gallstone is a stone formed within the gall bladder out of precipitated bile
components.
 The term cholelithiasis may refer to the presence of gallstones or to any disease
caused by gallstones

 Symptoms
 Presence of colicky pain in the upper-right side of the abdomen, often accompanied
by nausea and vomiting.
 Often, attacks occur after a particularly fatty meal and almost always happen at night,
and after drinking.

8
 PEPTIC ULCER

 Ulcers form when digestive juices damage the walls of the stomach or small intestine.
It develops when the mucus layer gets too thin or your stomach makes too much acid.

 Consumption of aspirin often and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

for a long time is most likely to cause peptic ulcer.
 NSAIDs block your body from making a chemical that helps protect the inner walls of your
stomach and small intestine from stomach acid.

 Stress and eating a lot of spicy food make ulcers worse and harder to treat.