The gastrointestinal system: anatomy, physiology and its

interaction with brain function

by Hector Hernandez De la Cerda

9​th​ December 2019

Module:​ BIE6322 Anatomy and Physiology for Engineers

Registration Number:​ 190184128

Word count: ​500

 Research by Parks et al. (1988) suggest that eating a carbohydrate-rich meal prior a
challenging mental task improves the brain’s performance on such task. On the other hand,
the British Nutrition Foundation mentions that there is no clear model describing the
relationship between the ingestion of carbohydrate-rich foods and improved cognition
(Gibson, 2007). However, the primary energy source for the brain is still glucose, one of the
main forms of carbohydrates, accounting for 20% of all
glucose-derived energy in the body (Siegel et al, 2005). But
to reach to a point where brain cells can process glucose for
adequate function, our bodies first need to obtain nutrients
from food. To explain how this occurs, the digestive
system’s anatomy (fig. 1), physiology and its relationship
with the nervous system will be reviewed below. For a more
detailed exposition, please refer to Saladin, Gan and
Cushman (2018).

The digestive system performs two main tasks:

nutrient breakdown and absorption. These processes are
achieved through a series of events inside the gastrointestinal
(GI) tract; a structure layered with specialized epithelium
running from mouth to anus. The first part of the GI tract is
comprised of the mouth, pharynx and esophagus; covered
with stratified squamous epithelium to resist the abrasiveness
of food pieces. The rest of it corresponds to the stomach and the small and large intestines;
covered with a simple columnar epithelium that facilitates secretion and absorption of
substances.

Accessory organs like the teeth, tongue

and salivary glands aid the process both
mechanically, by pulverizing the food; and
chemically, with the secretion of enzymes
in the saliva. Then, the food bolus travels
down the esophagus by an involuntary
sequence of contraction and relaxation of
the smooth muscle of the tract called
peristalsis. In the stomach, food is broken
down to its basic components by the gastric
acid and the gallbladder enzymes secreted in the duodenum. The absorption process then
begins in the intestines. Many of the digestive enzymes acting there are secreted by the liver
and pancreas and complete the disassembly of large food molecules into monomers.

Monomers are absorbed in the intestines by active and passive transport mechanisms
to pass them into the bloodstream. Once there, monomers, like glucose, are available to
satisfy any demand in the body via the circulatory system. As described in Stoessl (2017),
astrocytes in the brain break down glucose to produce lactate and aid the neuron’s reduced
production of such molecule. Lactate is taken up by neurons to convert it into pyruvate; an
important substrate for the Krebs cycle and the overall ATP production of the cell (fig. 2).
This glucose-derived energy is vital to the neuron’s physiology since it permits the generation
of postsynaptic potentials and vesicular transport of neurotransmitters. And even though a
direct mechanism between a higher glucose intake and improved brain function has not yet
been described, it is certain that the proper absorption of glucose, done by the digestive
system, is needed for adequate cognitive function because of the chemical processes
described above.

Bibliography

Gibson, E. L. (2007). Carbohydrates and mental function : feeding or impeding the

brain ? ​Nutrition Bulletin​, ​32​(suppl 1), 71–83.

Parks, R. W., Loewenstein, D. A., Dodrill, K. L., Barker, W. W., Yoshii, F., Chang, J.
Y., … Duara, R. (1988). Cerebral metabolic effects of a verbal fluency test: a PET
scan study. ​Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology,​ ​10(​ 5),
565–575. ​https://doi.org/10.1080/01688638808402795

Saladin, K. S., Gan, C. A., & Cushman, H. N. (2018). ​Anatomy and Physiology: The
Unity of Form and Function (8th Edition). New York, NY: McGraw Hill
Education.

Siegel, G. J., Wayne Albers, R., Brady, S., & Price, D. L. (2005). ​Basic Neurochemistry:
Molecular, Cellular, and Medical Aspects​ (7th Edition). Elsevier.

Stoessl, A. J. (2017, February 23). Glucose utilization: Still in the synapse. ​Nature
Neuroscience​, Vol. 20, pp. 382–384.