ANATOMY AND HISTOLOGY OF THE

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM DIGESTIVE SYTSEM

- is a complex set of organs, glands, and • Digestive Tract

ducts

- also called Gastrointestinal tract

- works together to transform food into

nutrients for cells
Specific portions of the digestive tract
include:
• Enzymes in the digestive system break the
particles down into very small molecules
๏ Oral cavity (mouth)

๏ Pharynx (throat)

FUNCTIONS
๏ Esophagus

1. Ingestion ๏ Stomach

- food intake to your stomach

๏ Small and large intestines

2. Mastication ๏ Anus

- chewing process
The inner lining of the digestive tract serves
as a protective barrier to those indigestible
3. Propulsion and harmful materials.
- movement of food from one end of Consists of 4 tunics:

digestive tract to another

1. Mucosa
A. Swallowing

- innermost tunic

B. Peristalsis

Consists of three layers:

C. Mass movement

‣ Mucous epithelium

4. Mixing

‣ Lamina propria

5. Secretion
- loose connective tissue

6. Digestion
‣ Muscularis mucosae

- break down of large organic molecules

into smaller molecules
- a thin outer layer of smooth muscle

7. Absorption 2. Submucosa

- movement of molecules our of the - lies outside the mucosa

digestive tract into the blood or lymphatic - thick layer of loose connective tissue
system
containing nerves, blood vessels, and
8. Elimination small glands

- removal of undigested material

Plexus
- extensive network within the submucosa

3. Muscularis
- It consists of an inner layer of circular
smooth muscle and an outer layer of
longitudinal smooth muscle

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 colon and posterior body wall is called
greater omentum
Together, nerve plexuses of the submucosa
and muscularis compose the… • Long, double fold of mesentery that
extends inferiorly from the stomach before
Enteric Nervous System looping back to the transverse colon to
- division of the autonomic nervous system
create a cavity or pocket called omental
bursa
- extremely important in controlling
movement and secretion within the tract
• Have no mesenteries are referred to as
retroperitoneal
4. Serosa / Adventitia
➡ lie along the abdominal wall

- outermost layer

- consists of peritoneum

ANATOMY OF THE ORAL CAVITY

➡ smooth epithelial layer

• mouth is the first part of the digestive tract

• regions of the digestive tract are not

covered by peritoneum but covered by a • bounded by lipids and cheeks and
connective tissue layer called adventitia.
contains the teeth and tongue

• lips are muscular structures formed mostly

by the orbicular oris
PERITONEUM

• cheeks form the lateral walls of the oral

• The serous membrane that covers the cavity

organs is the visceral peritoneum or

serosa ✦ Buccinator muscles

• The serous membrane that lines the wall of - flatten the cheeks against the teeth

the abdominal cavity is the parietal

• lips and cheeks are important in the
peritoneum process of mastication
• Many of the abdominal cavity are held in ✦ Tongue
place by connective tissue sheets called
mesenteries - large, muscular organ that occupies most
of the oral cavity

➡ provide a route for blood vessels

and nerves from the abdominal - major attachment is in the posterior part of
wall to the organs
oral cavity

➡ consists of two layers with a thin • Anterior attachment to the floor of the
layer of loose connective tissue
mouth by a thin fold of tissue called the
frenulum
• Also applied specifically to the mesentery
associated with the small intestine called • Anterior two-thirds of the tongue is
mesentery proper covered by papillae

• The mesentery connecting the lesser • Posterior one-third of the tongue is devoid
curvature of the stomach to the liver and of papillae

diaphragm is called lesser omentum

• The mesentery connecting the greater
curvature of the stomach to the transverse

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TEETH
• The dentin of the tooth crown is covered
by an extremely hard, acellular substance
• Located in the mandible and maxillae
called enamel
• Can be divided into quadrants
➡ protects the tooth against
✓ right upper
abrasion and acids

✓ left upper
• The surface of the dentin in the root is
covered with cementum
✓ right lower

➡ helps anchor the tooth in

✓ left lower
the jaw

• In adults, each quadrant contains one
central and one lateral incisor, one canine,
first and second premolars, and first,
second, and third molars
• Third molars are called wisdom teeth
• The teeth are held in the place within
alveoli
• The alveolar process are covered by dense
fibrous connective tissue and moist
stratified squamous epithelium, referred to
as the gingiva or gums

➡ usually
appear in the ✓ Periodontal ligaments

late teens or
early twenties
- secure the teeth in the alveoli by
embedding into the cementum

• The teeth of the adults are called

permanent teeth or second teeth ✓ Dental caries

• Most of them are replacement for the 20 - or tooth decay

primary teeth or deciduous teeth also - result of the breakdown of enamel by

called milk or baby teeth
acids produced by bacteria

➡ lost during childhood

✓ Periodontal disease
• Each tooth consists of 3 regions:
- inflammation and degeneration of the
✓ Crown with one or more cusps periodontal ligaments, gingiva, and
alveolar bone

- visible portion of the tooth

- most common cause of tooth loss in
✓ Neck
adults

- smallest region between crown and root

✓ Root PALATE AND TONSILS

- largest region of the tooth and anchors it • Roof of the oral cavity

in the jawbone

• Separates the oral cavity from the nasal

• Within the center of the tooth is a pulp cavity

cavity
• Prevents food from passing into the nasal
➡ filled with blood vessels, nerves, and cavity during chewing and swallowing

connective tissue called pulp • Consists of 2 parts

➡ surrounded by a living, cellular, ✓ Hard palate

calcified tissue called dentin

✓ Soft palate

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• Uvula glands, contains digestive enzyme called
salivary amylase
- posterior extension of the soft palate

➡ breaks down starch

➡ breaks down covalent bonds

SALIVARY GLANDS
between glucose molecules in
starch and polysaccharides

• 3 major pairs of salivary gland

✓ Parotid glands
• 5% of the total carbohydrates are digested
in the mouth

✓ Submandibular glands

• Saliva prevents bacterial infections in the

✓ Sublingual glands
mouth by washing the oral cavity with a
mildly antibacterial enzyme called
• Saliva is a mixture of serous and mucous
lysozome

✦ Parotid glands
- largest of the salivary glands
PHARYNX

- are serous glands located just anterior to • connects mouth with the esophagus

each ear

• consists of 3 parts

- enter the oral cavity adjacent to the

second upper molars
✓ Nasopharynx

✦ Mumps ✓ Oropharynx

- is an inflammation of the parotid gland ✓ Laryngopharynx

caused by a viral infection

• The posterior walls of the oropharynx and
✦ Submandibular glands laryngopharynx are formed by the superior,
middle, and inferior pharyngeal
- produce more serous than mucous constrictor muscles
secretions

✦ Sublingual glands
ESOPHAGUS

- smallest of the three paired salivary gland

• is a muscular tube lined with moist

- produce primarily secretions
stratified squamous epithelium

- each has 10-12 small ducts opening onto • extends from the pharynx to the stomach

the floor of the oral cavity

• 25 cm long

• The upper two-thirds has a skeletal muscle

SALIVA
in its wall

• is a versatile fluid
• Lower one-third had a smooth muscle in its
wall

• keeps the oral cavity moist and contains

enzymes that begin the process of • transports food from the pharynx to the
digestion
stomach

• secretes 1L per day

✦Esophageal sphincters
• The serous part of the saliva, produced - regulate the movement of food into and
mainly by the parotid and submandibular out of the esophagus

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• The lower esophageal mucous gland is • The body turns to the right forming a
sometimes called cardiac sphinter
greater curvature and a lesser curvature

• Pyloric opening
SWALLOWING
- opening into the small intestine

- or deglutition - surrounded by pyloric sphincter

• 3 phases
➡ region of the
stomach near the
✓ Voluntary phase pyloric opening

- a bolus, or mass of food is formed in the • Muscularis layer consists of 3 layers

mouth

✓ Outer longitudinal layer

✓ Pharyngeal phase
✓ Middle circular layer

- controlled by a reflex

✓ Inner oblique layer

- when a bolus of food stimulates receptors

in the oropharynx to elevate soft palate

✓ Esophageal phase
- responsible for moving food from the
pharynx to the stomach

• Muscular contractions of the esophagus

occur in peristaltic waves
• Peristaltic contractions cause relaxation of
the lower esophageal sphincter in the
esophagus

STOMACH

- houses food

- enlarged segment of the digestive tract in

the left superior abdomen

• The opening from the esophagus into the

stomach is called the gastroesophageal
opening
• Around the gastroesophageal opening us
the stomach region called cardiac region
✓ Fundus

- most superior part of the stomach

✓ Body
- largest part of the stomach