The Digestive

System: Overview
Chapter 24

Thursday July 31st, 2014

Learning Objectives
Identify the organs of the digestive system
Describe the basic processes performed by the digestive
system
Describe the structure and function of the layers of the
gastrointestinal (GI) tract
Describe the nerve supply to the GI tract
Describe the peritoneum and its folds
Briefly describe the major functions of the mouth and tongue
Identify locations of salivary glands and their major functions
Describe the three phases of deglutition

The Digestive System: Overview

Composed of two groups of organs:
GASTROINTESTINAL (GI) TRACT (alimentary canal)
ACCESSORY DIGESTIVE ORGANS
Organs of the GI tract include:

Stomach
Mouth

Small
Pharynx
intestine
Esophagus

Large
intestine
Accessory digestive organs include:

Teeth
Liver

Tongue
Gallbladder
Salivary glands Pancreas

The Digestive System: Overview

DIGESTION: mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into
smaller components - absorbed more easily into the body

Basic digestive system processes:

Ingestion
Secretion
Digestion (chemical and mechanical)

Mixing and propulsion

Absorption
Defecation

The Digestive System: Function

GI tract and accessory organs (i.e. liver and pancreas) are
responsible for facilitating the bodys metabolic processes:
CATABOLISM:
ANABOLISM:

Hydrolysis: Large carbohydrate (CHO), lipid, protein, nucleic acid

molecules
Absorption without chemical digestion: vitamins, ions,
cholesterol, water

Digestive System Anatomy:

Overview
GI tract wall (from lower esophagus to anal canal): four-layered
arrangement of tissues
From deep to superficial:
MUCOSA
SUBMUCOSA
MUSCULARIS
SEROSA (adventitia)

LUMEN: inside
of the tubular
structure

GI Tract Layers: Mucosa

MUCOSA: mucous membrane, forming inner layer of GI tract
Composed of multiple layers:
1. Epithelium
Enteroendocrine glands: Among epithelial cells.
Exocrine: Secrete mucus and fluid into the lumen of the tract
Endocrine: Secrete hormones
2. Lamina Propria:
Connective tissue containing
blood and lymphatic vessels

Lymphoid tissue (mucosaassociated lymphatic tissue

or MALT)

GI Tract Layers: Mucosa

3. Muscularis mucosae: thin layer of smooth muscle
Lining of stomach and small intestines forms small folds

Movement of muscularis mucosae

ensures all absorptive cells are
exposed to GI tract contents

GI Tract Layers
SUBMUCOSA: areolar connective tissue binding mucosa to muscularis
Contains: blood and lymphatic vessels, glands and lymphatic tissue,
submucosal plexus

MUSCULARIS: muscular layer

Skeletal muscle: mouth, pharynx, esophagus,
anal sphincter.

Smooth muscle: rest of GI tract.

Food breakdown, mixing with
digestive juices and propelling
food down GI tract

GI Tract Layers
SEROSA: superficial layer of the GI tract
adventitia - fibrous connective
tissue arranged around the
organ which
it supports

Reproduced from siumed.edu

Neural Innervation of the GI Tract

ENTERIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
Intrinsic set of nerves arranged in 2 plexuses:
Myenteric plexus
Between longitudinal and circular
muscle of muscularis. Controls
GI tract motility.
Submucosal plexus
Within the submucosa. Supply
secretory cells of mucosal
epithelium, controlling secretions
Chemoreceptors
Stretch receptors

Neural Innervation of the GI Tract

AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
Neurons of the ENS can function independently, but are
subject to regulation by the ANS
Parasympathetic Innervation:
Increased GI motility and
secretion
Vagus (X) Nerve
Pelvic Splanchnic nerves
Sacral spinal cord
Sympathetic Innervation:
Decreased GI secretion and
motility
Thoracic and lumbar spinal cord

Digestive System Anatomy:

Overview
Peritoneum: the bodys largest serous membrane.
It wraps around most abdominopelvic organs
Visceral peritoneum: serosa of the
alimentary canal and covers other intraabdominal organs

parietal peritoneum: continuation of visceral

peritoneum around abdominal wall

There are five major

peritoneal folds:
Greater omentum
Falciform ligament
Lesser omentum
Mesentery
Mesocolon

Anatomy Overview: Peritoneum

Greater omentum: largest peritoneal
fold
Drapes over transverse colon and
small intestine like a fatty apron
Contains lymph nodes (GI immunity)
Falciform ligament: attaches the
liver to the anterior abdominal wall
and diaphragm
Lesser omentum: suspends stomach &
duodenum from inferior edge of liver
Pathway for blood vessels (hepatic
portal vein; common hepatic artery) to
enter liver
Contains the common bile duct

Digestive System Anatomy:

Overview
Retroperitoneal: Abdominopelvic organs are covered by
visceral peritoneum only on their anterior surfaces.

Organs in the retroperitoneal

space include:
Kidneys and ureters
Majority of the pancreas
Adrenal glands
Aorta and inferior vena cava

The Digestive System

The Mouth
Oral (buccal) cavity: formed by the cheeks, hard and soft
palates, and the tongue
Mechanical digestion of food through mastication (chewing)

Mixing with saliva to form a soft flexible bolus

Saliva: starts process of chemical digestion
99.5% water, small amounts of dissolved ions, IgA, lysozyme (a
bacteriolytic enzyme), and salivary amylase (a digestive enzyme that
acts on starch).

The tongue: composed of skeletal muscle under voluntary

somatic motor control
Forces the moistened food bolus into position for swallowing (deglutition)
and places the bolus into contact with the teeth for chewing

The Mouth
Three large salivary glands secrete most of the saliva:
Parotid
submandibular
Sublingual
The smaller glands
are found on the:
lips (labial)
cheeks (buccal)
palate (palatal)
tongue (lingual)

Esophagus: Anatomy
Esophagus: collapsible muscular tube, posterior to trachea
Begins at inferior end of laryngopharynx, entering the mediastinum
anterior to vertebral column
Pierces diaphragm through esophageal hiatus (opening)
Sphincters: Muscularis forms a sphincter
at either end of the esophagus
Upper esophageal sphincter regulates
food from larynx to esophagus
Lower esophageal sphincter regulates

food from esophagus to stomach

Deglutition (swallowing)
Stage of deglutition:
1. Voluntary stage: Bolus forced to back of oral cavity and into
oropharynx by movement of the tongue
2. Pharyngeal stage: Soft palate raised and epiglottis closes off
opening to larynx (respiratory tract)
3. Esophageal stage:
Contraction of pharyngeal muscles
Opening of esophagus
Peristalsis
NOTE: Deglutination
center located in
medulla oblongata and
lower pons of the brain
stem. Simulated by
receptors in oropharynx