Microscopic Structure of Upper

Alimentary System
I Wayan Sugiritama

sugiritama@gmail.com
http://sugiritama.blogspot.com

Medical Faculty of Udayana University 2012

 DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
• Digestive tract
– Oral cavity-esophagus-Stomach-Small
Intestine-Large Intestine-Rectum-Anus
• Associates Glands
– Salivary Glands
– Liver
– Pancreas
 Digestion Processess
• Food moisten by saliva
• Chewed by teeth
ORAL CAVITY
• Amylase digest carbohydrate

bolus
• Conveys the bolus from the oral pharynx to
the stomach
ESOPHAGUS

chyme • Liquefies the food

• Protein digestion
STOMACH • Fat digestion
 HISTOLOGIC STRUCTURE OF THE ORAL CAVITY

Oral cavity is lined by oral mucosa :

• Masticatory mucosa:
– covers the surfaces involved in the
processing of food.
– keratinized Strat. Sq. Ept.

• Lining mucosa:
– covers the remaining surfaces of
the oral cavity
– non-keratinised strati. sq. Ept.

• Specialized mucosa :
– Taste buds
HISTOLOGIC STRUCTURE OF THE HARD AND SOFT PALATE

Separate the oral

and nasal cavity
• Hard Palate
– Keratinized St. Sq. Epith.
– Dense. Irreg. Coll. C.T
– Rests on bony tissue
• Soft Palate
– Non-keratinized St. Sq. Epith
– Irreg. Coll. C.T.
– Minor Salivary Glands
• Uvula ~ Soft Palate
 Histologic Structure of Lips

• The core: skeletal muscle fibers

• External (skin) aspect:
– Thin skin, with sweat glands, hair follicles, & sebaceous gland
• Vermilion zone :
– Thin skin, capillary loops close to the skin  pink color
• Internal (mucous) aspect:
– Strat. Sq. non-keratinized epith.
 Pharynx
• Transition : oral cavity-respiratory-digestive
system
• Lined by :
– Strat. Sq. Epith.
– Ciliated Pseudostrat. Colum. Epith. (respiratory
portion)
• Contains the tonsil
Histologic Structure of Teeth
• Mineralized
– Enamel
• Consist 96% calcium
• Enamel rods coated with organic
matrix
– Dentin
• Consist 70% calcium
• Dentinal tubules
– Cementum
• Consist 50% calcium
• Cementocytes within lacunae
• Pulp
• Loose connective Tissue with
nerve and blood vessels
 Structure Associated with Teeth
• Periodontal Ligament
CEMENTUM – Suspend the tooth in its
socket
– Dense irregular connective
tissue
Periodontal. L. • Alveolus
– Bony Socket
• Ginggiva (gums)
– Keratinized St. Sq. Epith.
– Dense collagenous
connective tissue

ALVEOLUS
Histologic Structure of Tongue
• Bulk of skeletal muscle
fibers
• Dorsal surface :
– Irregular
• Anterior (2/3)
– Lingual papillae
• Sulcus terminalis
• Posterior (1/3)
• Ventral Surface
– Mucous membrane is
smooth
 PAPILLA LINGUALIS

P. Filliformis
P. Circumvallate

P. Fungiformis
TASTE BUDS
• Intraepithelial sensory
organs  perception of
taste
• ± 3000
• Composed by :
– 60-80 spindle shape cells
• Basal cells
• Dark Cells
• Light Cells
• Intermediate Cells
– The narrow end  taste pore
• Nerve fibers
GENERAL STRUCTURE OF ALIMENTARY TRACT

• Mucosa
– Epithelium
– Lamina Propia
– Mucularis
mucosae
• Submucosa
• Muscularis
externa
• Adventitia
Histologic Structure of Esophagus

Mucosa
• Strat. Sq. Non Keratinized E.
• Langerhans cells
• Lamina Propia
– esophageal cardiac glands  mucus coat
– Muscularis mucosae ( longitudinal)
Submucosa
• Dense fibroelastic C.T.
• Esophageal glands proper
– Mucous
– Serous  Pepsinogen & lysozyme
Muscularis Externa
– Skeletal & smooth muscle
Adventitia
STOMACH

• Histologically, the layers of

the wall of the stomach
similar in its different parts.

• Regional differences are

appearance on the gastric
mucosa.
Fundic Region Of Stomach
Mucosa
• Epithelium
– Simp. Colum. Epit. 
PROTECTIVE MUCUS
– InvaginateGastric pits
• Lamina propia
– Loose C.T
– Plasma cells & Lymphocyte
– Gastric (Fundic) Glands
• Muscularis mucosae
– Smooth muscle
Submucosa
– Dense irreg. coll. C.T.
Muscularis externa
– Three layer of smooth M.
FUNDIC GLANDS

• Branch Tubular gastric

glands
• Type of cells :
– Surface lining cells
 mucus
– Regenerative cells
 regeneration
– Mucous neck cells
 mucus
– Parietal (oxyntic) cells
 HCL & intrinsic factor
– Chief (zymogenic) cells
 pepsinogen & lipase
– DNES cells 
CARDIAC REGION OF STOMACH

• Shallow of gastric pits

• Base of glands is highly
coiled
• Cells population mostly
surface lining epith
• No chief cells
• Mucus & lyzosyme
PYLORUS REGION OF STOMACH

• Deep of gastric pits

• Short, higly convulated,
branch gland
• Predominant cells is
mucous neck cells
• Gastrin cells
D cells
Cardia-Fundic-Pylorus Region
HISTOLOGIC STRUCTURE OF DUODENUM

Small intestine
• Digest food
– Enzyme
– bile
• absorb end product
– Plicae circulares
– Villi
– microvilli
ANY QUESTION ?
1.
LEARNING TASKS
Describe the structure on oral cavity which has a role on digestion
process!
2. Describe the general structure of Alimentary canal!
3. Describe the structure on the esophagus which is important in the
transport of bolus from mouth to the stomach!
4. Describe the structure of gastric glands !
5. Mention and explain the function of the cells which are compose
the gastric glands !