Gastrointestinal System Flashcards

1
Q

What are the function of the GI tract?

A

digestion and elimination

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Explain the function of ‘digestion’ in the GI tract

A

the ‘breaking down’ (mechanical and chemical) of food and fluid into simple chemicals that can be absorbed and transported throughout the body

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Explain the function of ‘elimination’ in the GI tract

A

waste products are disposed of through the excretion of faeces

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

The digestive system is made up of the GI tract. Describe it…

A

This is a series of hollow organs joined in a long, twisted tube from the mouth to the anus.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Name the 6 organs involved in the GI tract

A
  • mouth
  • oesophagus
  • stomach
  • small intestines
  • large intestines
  • anus
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is meant by an accessory organ?

A

in relation to the digestive system, is an organ which aids digestion but is not directly part of the digestive tract

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are the accessory organs of the GI tract?

A
  • teeth
  • tongue
  • salivary glands
  • gall bladder
  • pancreas
  • liver
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Explain the role of the mouth in the GI tract?

A
  • chewing
  • food reduced to a bolus
  • salvia starts to dissolve food
  • teeth chop and grind food into small pieces
  • lingual lipase activated in stomach to break down fats
  • tongue pushes food to back of throat
  • nasal cavity and windpipe close to prevent aspiration
  • as you swallow the digestive process becomes involuntary
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Explain the role of the oesophagus in the GI tract?

A
  • food passes through the pharynx into oesophagus

- involuntary peristalsis involves muscular waves of movement to push the food down the stomach

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Explain the role of the stomach in the GI tract?

A
  • a temporary holding station
  • hydrochloric acid and enzymes break down the protein
  • mucus lining the stomach allows us to eat larger amounts of food
  • liquids pass through in minutes
  • acts as a food mixer, grinds food into smaller pieces
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Explain the role of the small intestines in the GI tract?

A
  • bile enters the duodenum
  • pancreatic juices (strong enzymes) enter duodenum to read down fats, carbs and proteins
  • duodenum, jejunum, ileum role
  • 2-4 hours for food to pass through
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

When referring to the small intestines in the GI tract, what is the organ and what is the accessory organs?

A

organ - small intestines

accessory - liver, gallbladder and pancreas

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What does the liver do in the GI tract?

A

produce bile to emulsify fats, makes it easier to break down

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What does the gallbladder do in the GI tract?

A

stores bile that is not needed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What does the pancreas do in the GI tract?

A

creates pancreatic juices that has enzymes in, squirts into breakdown

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Identity the 3 sections of the small intestine

A

duodenum, jejunum, ileum

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Describe bile

A

a yellow/green fluid containing bile acids to break down fats - ‘stomach acids’

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the role of the duodenum and jejunum sections in the small intestine?

A

where the chyme is broken down

chyme = acidic fluid which passes from the stomach to the small intestine

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is the role of the ileum section in the small intestine?

A

absorbs water and nutrients into the blood stream

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is the role of the large intestines in the GI tract?

A
  • food passes through another sphincter
  • cecum - receives chyme from ileum
  • colon - absorbs water to form faeces
  • mucus helps the faeces slide through
  • leaves undigested and indigestible food
  • rectum - faeces stored before excreted
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is a sphincter?

A

Food passes through a sphincter to let food in but prevent it moving back. A sphincter is a strong ring shaped muscle.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What are the 3 sections of the large intestine?

A

cecum, colon, rectum

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What does the cecum section of the large intestines do?

A

short pouch which receives chyme from ileum

acidic fluid

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What does the colon section of the large intestines do?

A

absorbs water to form faeces

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What does the rectum do within the large intestines?

A

where the faeces is stored before is is excreted

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What is the role of the liver in the GI tract?

A

nutrients from food is absorbed into the blood stream and travels to the liver where food is processed then either stored or sent to other parts of the body to be used

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What is the role of the liver in the GI tract?

A
  • has 2 muscular sphincters - internal and external
  • external sphincter is always tight, except with faeces in the rectum - can be controlled, you decide when you need to go etc
  • the internal sphincter cannot be voluntarily controlled
28
Q

What effect does progesterone have on the oesophagus during pregnancy?

A
  • relaxation - leads to regurgitation of acid stomach contents and heartburn
  • painful retrosternal sensation
  • affects 30-70% of women
29
Q

What changes occur to the stomach in pregnancy?

A
  • less gastric acid secretion
  • less gastric mobility and slower emptying
  • increased pulping of food (nausea)
  • stomach drapes loosing over fundus as pregnancy advances
30
Q

What changes occur to the small intestine in pregnancy?

A
  • progesterone relaxes, less effective
  • increased transit time
  • increased absorption time
  • increased iron absorption
31
Q

What changes occur to the large intestine in pregnancy?

A
  • progesterone releaxes
  • reduced motility
  • increased water absorption - potential constipation, harder faeces
  • increased sodium absorption
  • flatulence is common
32
Q

What percentage of women report increased appetite? Why?

A

50%

increased food consumption and thirst

33
Q

Does changes to maternal appetite affect fetal growth or maternal metabolism?

A

No

34
Q

What time of day is increased appetite quite common in pregnancy?

A

Morning

35
Q

What hormone may be responsible for the increased appetite in pregnancy?

A

Leptin

36
Q

Explain the hormone leptin in relation to increased appetite

A

Leptin is the hormone of energy, made by adipose cells to help regulate energy balance by inhibiting hunger.
Leptin typically suppresses food intake, but in pregnancy there’s evidence of hormonally induced leptin resistance, hence leptin levels increase.
Despite raised leptin levels, food intake and fat deposition increases

37
Q

What causes women to feel sick more and less appetite in relation to body disfigurement?

A

physiological and anatomical changes during advancing pregnancy - upward gastric displacement and pressure from the gravid uterus occurs

38
Q

What do oestrogen and progesterone do to the maternal appetite?

A

oestrogen suppresses the appetite, progesterone stimulates appetite

39
Q

What percentage of women are affected by nausea and vomiting?

A

50-90%

40
Q

At what point in pregnancy is nausea and vomiting peak?

A

8-12 weeks

41
Q

List 3 causes of nausea and vomiting

A
  • rise in hCG secretion
  • effects of progesterone on gastric muscle
  • evolutionary
42
Q

Women commonly report increased thirst in pregnancy? Why?

A

hCG affects hypothalamus and decreases osmotic threshold for thirst

43
Q

Define ‘aversions’

A

a strong dislike or disinclination. marked preferences or aversions are common in pregnancy

44
Q

Why do pregnant women have cravings for highly flavoured food?

A

dulled taste buds

45
Q

List some commonly reported aversions in pregnancy

A

coffee, tea, alcohol, meat, fried foots, eggs, cigarettes

46
Q

Define ‘pica’

A

persistent craving anf compulsive consumption of non nutritious substance

47
Q

Define ‘ptyalism’

A

excessive saliva

48
Q

Ptyalism is a change to the oral cavity in pregnancy. Why?

A

due to influence of progesterone and/or hCG which increases saliva viscosity
experienced as a bad taste in the mouth, swallowing the excessive/thick saliva can induce cause and need to spit

49
Q

What is the effect of oestrogen and progesterone on the gums?

A
  • increased vascularity
  • increased oedema (swelling)
  • decreased ability to withstand infections
  • easily irritated
  • gingivitis (swelling gums)
  • pregnancy epilus
50
Q

What is gingivitis and what are some symptoms?

A

inflammation of the gums

bleeding, swelling, tenderness, pain, difficulty chewing

51
Q

What percentage of maternal weight gain is accounted for by the foetus?

A

27%

52
Q

What percentage of maternal weight gain is accounted for by the placenta, amniotic fluid and uterus?

A

20%

53
Q

What percentage of maternal weight gain is accounted for by the breasts?

A

3%

54
Q

What percentage of maternal weight gain is accounted for by the blood volume and extravascular fluid?

A

23%

55
Q

What percentage of maternal weight gain is accounted for by the maternal fat stores?

A

27%

56
Q

In what trimesters does weight gain predominantly occur?

A

2nd and 3rd

57
Q

Approximately how much weight is gained in 1st trimester?

A

1.6kg

58
Q

Approximately how much weight is gained per week through pregnancy?

A

0.4kg - 0.45kg

59
Q

How do you calculate BMI?

A

weight (kg) divided by height (m2 or cm)

60
Q

BMI normal adult range =

A

18.5-24.9

61
Q

BMI overweight =

A

25.0-29.9

62
Q

BMI class 1 obese =

A

30.0-34.9

63
Q

BMI class 2 obese =

A

35.0-39.9

64
Q

BMI class 3 morbidly obese =

A

over 40.0

65
Q

BMI super obese =

A

over 50.0

66
Q

BMI underweight =

A

less than 18.5