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Digestive System - B.Pharma 2nd Sem (BP201T - Unit I)
1. Overview & Organization
The digestive system (alimentary system) has two major functions:
- Digestion - physical and chemical breakdown of food
- Absorption - uptake of nutrients into the bloodstream
Components:
- Alimentary canal (GI tract): Mouth → Pharynx → Esophagus → Stomach → Small Intestine (Duodenum, Jejunum, Ileum) → Large Intestine → Rectum → Anus
- Accessory organs: Salivary glands, Liver, Gallbladder, Pancreas
Four Major Activities:
- Motility - propels and mixes food from mouth to rectum
- Secretion - adds fluid, enzymes, electrolytes, mucus
- Digestion - breaks food into absorbable molecules
- Absorption - transfers nutrients, water, and electrolytes into bloodstream
2. Anatomy of the GI Tract Wall (Layers)
The wall of the GI tract (from lumen outward) has four layers:
| Layer | Composition | Function |
|---|
| Mucosa | Epithelium + Lamina propria + Muscularis mucosae | Secretion, absorption, immune defense |
| Submucosa | Collagen, elastin, glands, blood vessels, Meissner's (submucosal) plexus | Nutrient supply, secretion control |
| Muscularis externa | Inner circular muscle + Outer longitudinal muscle + Auerbach's (myenteric) plexus | Motility (peristalsis, segmentation) |
| Serosa | Outer connective tissue layer | Protection |
Nerve Plexuses (Enteric Nervous System):
- Meissner's plexus (submucosal) - controls secretion
- Auerbach's plexus (myenteric) - controls motility/peristalsis
3. Oral Cavity
Structures:
- Vestibule - space between lips/cheeks and teeth
- Oral cavity proper - bounded by hard and soft palates (above), tongue (below)
Functions of the Mouth:
- Mastication (chewing) - mechanical breakdown of food
- Mixing with saliva - chemical digestion begins here
- Bolus formation - food shaped for swallowing
Salivary Glands (3 paired glands):
| Gland | Location | Duct | Secretion |
|---|
| Parotid | Infratemporal region (cheek) | Stensen's duct (opens near 2nd upper molar) | Serous (watery, rich in amylase) |
| Submandibular | Floor of mouth (submandibular triangle) | Wharton's duct | Mixed (serous + mucous) |
| Sublingual | Floor of mouth (under tongue) | Multiple ducts of Rivinus | Mostly mucous |
Composition of Saliva:
- Water, electrolytes (high K+, HCO3-; low Na+, Cl-)
- Salivary amylase (ptyalin) - digests starch → maltose
- Lingual lipase - initiates fat digestion
- Mucin - lubrication
- Lysozyme, IgA - antimicrobial protection
- pH: ~6.8-7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Note: Saliva is hypotonic compared to plasma. Daily volume = ~1-1.5 L.
Control of Salivary Secretion:
- Parasympathetic (dominant) - increases watery saliva (via cranial nerves VII & IX)
- Sympathetic - increases thick, mucous-rich saliva
- Stimulated by food smell, taste, sight, and chewing
4. Pharynx & Esophagus
- Pharynx - common passage for food and air; swallowing (deglutition) begins here
- Esophagus - muscular tube (~25 cm) connecting pharynx to stomach
- Upper 1/3: skeletal muscle; Middle 1/3: mixed; Lower 1/3: smooth muscle
- Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) / Cardiac sphincter - prevents reflux of stomach contents
- Peristalsis propels the bolus downward
5. Stomach
Gross Anatomy:
- Regions: Cardia, Fundus, Body (corpus), Antrum, Pylorus
- Pyloric sphincter controls passage of chyme into duodenum
Gastric Glands & Secretory Cells:
| Cell Type | Location | Secretion |
|---|
| Chief (peptic) cells | Body/fundus | Pepsinogen (inactive) |
| Parietal (oxyntic) cells | Body/fundus | HCl + Intrinsic factor |
| G cells | Antrum | Gastrin |
| Mucous neck cells | Throughout | Mucus (protects mucosa) |
| ECL cells | Body | Histamine (stimulates HCl) |
| D cells | Antrum | Somatostatin (inhibits acid) |
Gastric Secretion - HCl:
- HCl converts pepsinogen → pepsin (active proteolytic enzyme)
- Kills bacteria in food
- Provides acidic pH (~1.5-3.5) needed for pepsin activity
- Mechanism: Parietal cells use H+/K+ ATPase (proton pump) to secrete H+
Phases of Gastric Secretion:
| Phase | Trigger | Mediator |
|---|
| Cephalic phase | Sight, smell, taste, thought of food | Vagus nerve (ACh) |
| Gastric phase | Food entering stomach, distension, peptides | Gastrin, ACh, Histamine |
| Intestinal phase | Chyme in small intestine | Initially stimulates, then inhibits (secretin, CCK, GIP) |
Gastric Motility:
- Mixing waves - mix food with gastric juice → chyme
- Peristalsis - propels chyme toward pylorus
- Stomach empties in ~2-6 hours depending on meal composition
Protection from Self-Digestion:
- Mucus layer forms a gel barrier
- HCO3- trapped in mucus neutralizes any H+ that penetrates
- Prostaglandin E2 maintains the mucosal barrier
6. Small Intestine (Major site of digestion & absorption)
Regions:
- Duodenum (~25 cm) - receives chyme, bile, and pancreatic juice
- Jejunum (~2.5 m) - major site of absorption
- Ileum (~3.5 m) - absorbs vitamin B12, bile salts; ends at ileocecal valve
Structural Adaptations to Increase Surface Area:
| Structure | Description | Factor of Increase |
|---|
| Plicae circulares | Circular folds of mucosa + submucosa | 3x |
| Villi | Finger-like projections of mucosa | 10x |
| Microvilli (brush border) | Tiny projections on enterocytes | 20x |
Combined surface area of small intestine ≈ 200 m² (size of a tennis court!)
Intestinal Secretions:
- Brunner's glands (duodenum) - secrete alkaline mucus to neutralize acid chyme
- Crypts of Lieberkühn - secrete intestinal juice (succus entericus) containing water, electrolytes, and enzymes
- Brush border enzymes: Maltase, sucrase, lactase (carbohydrates), peptidases (proteins)
7. Digestion & Absorption
A. Carbohydrate Digestion:
| Site | Enzyme | Action |
|---|
| Mouth | Salivary amylase | Starch → Maltose, dextrins |
| Small intestine (lumen) | Pancreatic amylase | Starch → Maltose, dextrins |
| Brush border | Maltase, sucrase, lactase | Disaccharides → Monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, galactose) |
Absorption: Glucose and galactose by secondary active transport (SGLT1) with Na+; Fructose by facilitated diffusion (GLUT5). All enter blood via portal vein.
B. Protein Digestion:
| Site | Enzyme | Action |
|---|
| Stomach | Pepsin (from pepsinogen + HCl) | Proteins → Large peptides |
| Small intestine (lumen) | Trypsin, chymotrypsin, elastase (pancreatic) | Peptides → Smaller peptides |
| Brush border | Peptidases (aminopeptidase, dipeptidases) | Peptides → Amino acids |
Absorption: Amino acids by secondary active transport with Na+. Enter portal blood.
C. Fat Digestion:
| Site | Enzyme/Agent | Action |
|---|
| Mouth | Lingual lipase | Minor hydrolysis of triglycerides |
| Stomach | Gastric lipase | Minor fat breakdown |
| Small intestine | Bile salts (emulsification) | Break fat globules into small droplets |
| Small intestine (lumen) | Pancreatic lipase + colipase | Triglycerides → Fatty acids + 2-monoglycerides |
Absorption: Fatty acids and monoglycerides form micelles with bile salts → absorbed into enterocytes → reassembled into triglycerides → packaged into chylomicrons → enter lymphatics (lacteals) → thoracic duct → bloodstream.
Key difference: Fats go through lymphatics, while carbs & proteins go through portal blood.
8. Large Intestine (Colon)
Parts: Cecum → Ascending → Transverse → Descending → Sigmoid colon → Rectum → Anal canal
Functions:
- Absorption of water and electrolytes (mainly Na+ and water) - converts liquid chyme to semi-solid feces
- Absorption of vitamins (K, B12) produced by gut bacteria
- Fermentation of undigested fiber by colonic bacteria → short-chain fatty acids + gases (CO2, H2, CH4)
- Storage and elimination of feces (defecation)
No villi in the large intestine - only crypts of Lieberkühn
9. Accessory Organs
A. Pancreas (Exocrine Function)
Pancreatic juice (~1.5 L/day) contains:
| Enzyme | Substrate | Product |
|---|
| Trypsinogen (→ trypsin) | Proteins | Peptides |
| Chymotrypsinogen (→ chymotrypsin) | Proteins | Peptides |
| Pancreatic lipase | Triglycerides | FA + monoglycerides |
| Pancreatic amylase | Starch | Maltose |
| Elastase | Elastin/proteins | Peptides |
| HCO3- (bicarbonate) | Neutralizes acid chyme | - |
Regulation:
- Secretin (from S cells of duodenum, triggered by acid) → stimulates HCO3- secretion
- CCK (from I cells of duodenum, triggered by fat + protein) → stimulates enzyme secretion
B. Liver
Bile production (~600-1000 mL/day):
- Bile salts - emulsify fats for digestion
- Bilirubin - bile pigment (breakdown product of hemoglobin)
- Cholesterol, phospholipids, water, electrolytes
Bile stored in gallbladder - concentrated (~5-10x) and released into duodenum via common bile duct when CCK is secreted.
C. Gallbladder
- Stores and concentrates bile
- CCK → contracts gallbladder + relaxes Sphincter of Oddi → bile released into duodenum
10. Gastrointestinal Hormones (Summary)
| Hormone | Secreted by | Stimulus | Major Actions |
|---|
| Gastrin | G cells (antrum) | Protein in stomach, distension, vagal stimulation | ↑ HCl secretion, ↑ gastric motility |
| Secretin | S cells (duodenum) | Acid (H+) in duodenum | ↑ Pancreatic HCO3-, ↓ gastric acid |
| CCK | I cells (duodenum/jejunum) | Fat + protein in duodenum | ↑ Pancreatic enzymes, gallbladder contraction, ↓ gastric emptying |
| GIP (gastric inhibitory peptide) | K cells | Glucose + fat | Inhibits gastric acid, stimulates insulin release |
| Motilin | M cells | Fasting state | Migrating motor complex (MMC) - clears GI tract between meals |
| Somatostatin | D cells | Acid, fat in gut | Inhibits gastrin, HCl, and most GI secretions |
11. Energetics (ATP & BMR)
ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate):
- The universal energy currency of the cell
- Generated by: Glycolysis (cytoplasm), Krebs cycle (mitochondrial matrix), Oxidative phosphorylation (inner mitochondrial membrane)
- 1 glucose → ~36-38 ATP (aerobic), 2 ATP (anaerobic)
Creatine Phosphate:
- High-energy phosphate reserve in muscle cells
- Rapidly regenerates ATP during sudden bursts of activity: Creatine-P + ADP → Creatine + ATP (via creatine kinase)
- Provides energy for first ~10 seconds of intense activity
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR):
- The rate of energy expenditure at complete rest to maintain basic life functions (breathing, circulation, temperature regulation)
- Measured in kcal/day
- Normal BMR: Males ~1600-1800 kcal/day; Females ~1200-1400 kcal/day
- Factors affecting BMR:
- ↑ BMR: Hyperthyroidism, fever, stress, exercise training, male sex, youth
- ↓ BMR: Hypothyroidism, starvation, old age, female sex
12. Common Disorders (Important for Exams)
| Disorder | Key Feature |
|---|
| GERD (Gastro-esophageal reflux disease) | Weak LES → acid reflux → heartburn |
| Peptic ulcer disease | H. pylori infection or NSAIDs → break in mucosal barrier |
| Lactose intolerance | Deficiency of lactase enzyme → undigested lactose → bloating, diarrhea |
| Celiac disease | Immune reaction to gluten → villous atrophy → malabsorption |
| Cholecystitis | Inflammation of gallbladder; often due to gallstones |
| Pancreatitis | Inflammation of pancreas (acute: severe abdominal pain) |
| Appendicitis | Inflammation of appendix; pain at McBurney's point |
| Crohn's disease | Chronic inflammatory bowel disease - affects any part of GI tract (skip lesions) |
| Ulcerative colitis | Chronic inflammation confined to colon + rectum (continuous lesions) |
Quick Revision Points
- Digestion begins in the mouth (amylase) and is completed in the small intestine
- Stomach - mainly protein digestion; HCl activates pepsinogen → pepsin
- Duodenum - most important site for regulation of digestion (secretin, CCK)
- Jejunum - major site of absorption
- Ileum - absorbs vitamin B12 (with intrinsic factor) and bile salts
- Fats absorbed via lymphatics; carbs + proteins via portal blood
- Intrinsic factor (from parietal cells) is essential for B12 absorption; its absence causes Pernicious anemia
Sources: Costanzo Physiology 7th Ed.; Histology - A Text and Atlas (Ross & Pawlina); Goodman & Gilman's Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics
Want me to go deeper into any specific topic (e.g., fat absorption, gastric secretion phases, liver functions, or disorders)? I can also create flashcards or Q&A for exam preparation.