Digestive System 1

Digestive System

The Digestive System ["A man does not live on what he eats, an old proverb says, but on what he digests."  Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste: Or Meditations on Transcendental Gastronomy]

Objectives      

1. Describe stimuli and controls of digestive activity.

2. Describe the location and function of the peritoneum.

3. Define retroperitoneal and name the retroperitoneal organs.

4. Define splanchic circulation.

5. Indicate the importance of the hepatic portal system.

6. Describe the tissue composition and the general function of each of the four layers of the

alimentary canal.

7. Identify structural modifications of the wall of the stomach that enhance the digestive process.

8. Name the cell types responsible for secreting the various components of gastric juice and

indicate the importance of each component in stomach activity.

9. Describe stomach structure and indicate changes in the basic alimentary canal structure that

aid its digestive function.

10. Explain how gastric secretion and stomach motility are regulated.

11.  Identify and describe structural modifications of the wall of the small intestine that enhance the digestive process.

12.  Differentiate between the roles of the various cell types of the intestinal mucosa.

13.  Describe the function of local intestinal hormones and paracrines.

14.  State the role of bile in digestion and describe how its entry into the small intestine is regulated.

15.  Describe the role of the gallbladder.

16.  State the role of pancreatic juice in digestion.

17.  Describe how entry of pancreatic juice into the small intestine is regulated.

18.  List the major functions of the large intestine.

19.  List the enzymes involved in chemical digestion; name the foodstuffs on which they act.

20.  Describe the process of absorption of breakdown products of foodstuffs that occurs in the small intestine.

21.  Describe some of the structural and functional properties of smooth muscle.

Part 1: Overview of the Digestive System (pp. 852–858; Figs. 23.1–23.6)

A.    Digestive system organs fall into two main groups: the alimentary canal and the accessory organs.

1.     The alimentary canal, or gastrointestinal (GI) tract, is the continuous muscular digestive tube that winds through the body digesting and absorbing foodstuff; its organs include: the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine.

2.     Accessory digestive organs aid digestion physically and produce secretions that break down foodstuff in the GI tract; the organs involved are the teeth, tongue,

gallbladder, salivary glands, liver, and pancreas.

Digestive System Questions

1.	The correct sequence for the layers within the walls of the alimentary canal from inside to outside is the
A)	mucous membrane, muscular layer, serous layer, submucosa.
B)	mucous membrane, submucosa, muscular layer, serous layer.
C)	serous layer, muscular layer, mucous membrane, submucosa.
D)	submucosa, mucous membrane, serous layer, muscular layer.

2.	The teeth that are best adapted for biting off relatively large pieces of food are the
A)	incisors.

Cinnamon and Honey

 Cinnamon and Honey ~ Bet the drug companies won't like this one getting around.~

 Facts on Honey and Cinnamon : It is found that a mixture of honey and cinnamon cures most diseases. honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a 'Ram Ban' (very effective) medicine or all kinds of diseases.

 Honey can be used without any side effects for any kind of diseases.


Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients. Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada, in its issue dated 17 January,1995 has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon as researched by western scientists:
 
HEART DISEASES :
 Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, instead of jelly and jam, and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also those who have already had an attack, if they do this process daily, they are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat. 
 Arthritis patients :
 may take daily, morning, and night, one cup of hot water With two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If Taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated   their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon of Honey and half teaspoon of Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week, out of the 200 people so treated, practically 73 patients were totally Relieved of pain, and within a month, mostly all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis started walking without pain.  
 BLADDER INFECTIONS:
 Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a Glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder.  
 CHOLESTEROL:
 Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient, was found to reduce The level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As Mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken three times a day, any chronic Cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.
 COLDS:
 Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon Lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon   powder daily for three days. This Process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and clear the sinuses.
 UPSET STOMACH:
 Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears Stomach ulcers from the root.
 GAS:
 According to the studies done in India and Japan, it is revealed that if Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.  > IMMUNE SYSTEM:> Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and Protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks. Scientists have found That honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of    Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacteria and viral Diseases.  
 INDIGESTION:
 Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food Relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.
 INFLUENZA:
 A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural 'Ingredient' Which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.
 LONGEVITY:
 Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the Ravages of old age. Take four spoons of honey, one spoon of cinnamon powder And three cups of water and boil to make like tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to Four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans also increases and even a 100 year old, starts performing the   Chores of a 20-year-old.  
 PIMPLES:
 Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with Warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples from the root.
 SKIN INFECTIONS:
 Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts Cures eczema, ringworm and all types of   skin infections.
 WEIGHT LOSS:
 Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast on an empty stomach And at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one Cup of water. If taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.
 CANCER:
 Recent research in Japan and   Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder for one month three time s a day.
 FATIGUE:
 Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens, who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts, are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half Tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, taken daily after brushing and in the   afternoon at about 3:00 P.M. When the vitality of the body starts to decrease, increases the vitality of the body within a week.
 BAD BREATH:
 People of South America, first thing in the morning, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water, so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.  
 HEARING LOSS:
 Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in   equal parts restore hearing. Remember when we were kids? We had toast with real butter and cinnamon sprinkled on it!  
 ARTHRITIS:
 In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as you age, the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and veins.

STOMACH

·         Functions

o   Storage of ingested meal

o   Inhibition of bacterial growth

o   Mixing contents of stomach

o   Physical breakdown of food into small particles, some components solubilized

o   Regulates reate of emptying into small intestine

o   Provides intrinsic factor for vitamin B12 absorption

·         Body of stomach

o   Structure of gastric gland

§  Mucus epithelial cells and overlying mucus contribute to gastric mucosal barrier

§  Parietal cells secrete hydrochloric acid and intrinsic fact

·         In fundus and body

§  Chief cells produce and secrete pepsinogen

·         Fundus, body, and antrum

§  ECL cells synthesis and release histamine

·         Do not contact gland lumen

§  Mucus neck cells include stem cells which divide, differentiate and move up and down the gland in normal cellular turnover

§  Endocrine cells

·         Somatostatin and ghrelin from fundus

·         Gastrin and somatostatin from antrum

·         Secretion of HCl by Parietal Cells

o   CO2 diffuses into parietal cells from plasma or is produced by cellular metabolism

o   Hydrated to H2CO3 via carbonic anhydrase and dissociates to H and HCO3-

o   At apical membrane H+ is transported out of the cell in exchange for K+ by H+/K+ ATPase

§  ATPase is a target for proton pump inhibitors

§  Activated in the acid environment of the gastric gland

§  At rest, most are within the cell in inactive form and with stimulation of parietal cells they fuse to luminal membrane

·         Activation includes Gastrin, ACh, and histamine

·         Activation shows potentiation of response

o   Cl- exits passives through a Cl- channel

·         Integrated control of Gastric Acid secretion

o   Vagus acts directly on parietal cells and indirectly by effects on gastrin and histamine release

o   Histamine released from ECL cells reaches parietal cells by local diffusion

o   Gastrin released fromantral G cells reaches parietal cells by systemic circulation

o   Inhibitory regulators include somatostatin released from D cells in the antrum and body of the stomach, prostagladin from surface cells and intestinal hormones collectively termed “enterogastrone”

·         Pepsin

o   Proteolytic enzyme secreted by chief cells as an inactive precursor, pepsinogen

o   Release stimulated by vagal nerve and by presence of acid in stomach

o   Activated by peptide cleavage at acid pH

o   Initiates digestion of protein

§  Endopeptidase acting on internal peptide bonds

§  Products are large peptides called peptones (potent stimulators of gastrin and CCK release)

·         Intrinsic Factor

o   Glycoprotein which binds Vitamin B12

o   Produced by Parietal cells

o   After binding B12 its binds receptors on ileal absorptive cells and is internalized by endocytosis

o   Absent in pernicious anemia

·         Gastric Mucosal Barrier

o   Protection against acid and pepsin

o   Includes:

§  Prominent mucous layer

§  Bicarbonate secreted by surface cells which sets up a pH gradient

§  Tight junctions between epithelial cells

§  Surfactant like molecules secreted by mucosal cells

§  Gastric mucosal blood flow which rapidly removes any penetrating acid

·         Gastric Motility

o   Proximal: Receptive relaxation as stomach fills (fundus)

o   Distal: propulsive mixing and grinding (antrum)

§  Only particles smaller than 1 mm can exit through the pylorus

§  Peristalsis initiated by pacemaker cells

§  Muscular contraction is brought about by action potentials occurring when the smooth muscle cells depolarize below threshold

·         Increased by vagal or gastrin stimulation

·         Decreased by vagotomy or sympathetic stimulation

o   Pylorus regulates outflow

§  Regulated to prevent overload in intestine and allow optimal digestion

§  Increases in fatty acids, acidity, osmolarity, volume, and amino acids in the intestine leads to the release of CCK and secretrin which inhibits stomach emptying

§  Disorders

·         Delayed emptying (helped via use of prokinetic agents)

o   Outlet obstruction (tumor, scarring)

o   Diabetic neuropathy or vagotomy

·         Accelerated emptying

o   Dumping Syndrome

The Greta Value of Empty Stomach

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry” (Matthew 4:1-2).

Keep fasting over this night! Why, for what? Tomorrow you have operation, we cannot operate in full stomach, the doctors said!

Food is important for the body and nutrition is essential for it. Fasting does not mean we do not need to eat. One thing peculiar to this subject is that we cannot find a scripture that gives us a command to fast. It is useless as well if we fast without understanding the spiritual value of this act. Otherwise, we will cling to its mere physical aspect only.

The Israelites, the people of God, use to fast in three main occasions: First, when they sin against God they  fast as an act of repentance form their wicked ways. (1st  Samuel 7:6) By fasting they show humbleness in front of God and forward their petition to gain His reconciliation and forgiveness. Secondly, when they face threats, calamities, plagues or death they fast to draw near to God, to gain His protection and invite Him to fight for them and to deliver them from the hands of the enemy. (2

Chronicles Chapter 20*) Thirdly, when they are about to perform a big task whether physical or spiritual they fast to invite the Spirit of God to go before them to achieve the work. They charge their bodies  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  thus  fasting  is  a  privilege  equal  to  power,  progress  and  success. (Nehemiah 1:4*)

As human, two main poles act on us 1st Pole, God, who represents the Holiness. 2nd pole, Satan the tempter, with all his weapons that act on our instincts and desires. To draw toward the 1st pole is to declare or dependence on the Spirit of God who supplies even our physical needs.

Fasting is not meant to be compulsory act. Be aware! Fasting is not a habit. It is not a tradition. It is not mere imitation. Our desire to be near God should be the initiative and the motive for fasting. This is the “fasting led by the Spirit”.

Jesus, before he started His ministry on earth, was led by the Spirit to fast. He withdrew toward the desert where nothing of value can be seen except the holiness and the greatness of the unseen, our God.  He withdrew to the desert where he started the battle against Satan, the tempter. There he started His wrestle by fasting against the flesh and against its three main legions which are:

1) The physical needs, instincts and desires: “The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. ’Jesus answered’ it is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:3-4). The suggestion of the devil is that you can satisfy your physical needs by earthly things. Satan tried to pull him away from the spiritual food that gives the satisfaction even to the physical needs. By fasting will not only be released from the  bondage of physical food, but will help us to overcome other body instincts and desires like the lust of the flesh. In fact, to teach ourselves this new rule of life is not easy and it needs a lot of Spiritual maturity to say this verse as Paul said ”Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. Everything is  permissible for me-but I will not be mastered by anything. Food for stomach and stomach for food-But God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body” (1 Corinthians 6:12-13).

2) The human pride: “Then the devil took him to the Holy City and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ’If you are the Son of God’ he said,’ throw yourself down’. For it is written:”He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone’. Jesus answered him, ‘it is also written: Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (Matthew 4:5-7). (The devil used even words from the Holy Scriptures, Psalm

91:11-12). Here, Satan tried to substantiate Jesus claim to be God’s son, (If you are the Son of God).

And, at this point the devil tried to ignite the spirit of pride in Jesus tempting Him to do supernatural things to prove His Identity. The devil does the same with us, pushing us to show our splendour and our  pride, which is the mother and the breadwinner of many sins. Fasting is one of the means to control and suppress that pride by depending on God’s Spirit rather than our flesh.

3)  Greed for possession: “Again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendours. ’All this I will give you’, he said, ’If you will bow down and worship me’. Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan!’ For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only”. (Matthew 4:8-10) The devil here tried to pull Jesus to his side by bribing him with material things. Satan’s option is for Jesus to reign the world by treasures and to deviate God’s plan for Jesus to reign the world by the way of the cross. Fasting helps us refrain from worshipping and serving the idols of money and materialism.

Fasting directs our bodies to serve God by the divine way of living. It can be one of the scales that measure our love toward God. It cleans us from the greed of possessions and the love of position, and draws us toward the Holiness of our God. “Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” (Matthew 4:11) Jesus wrestled with the above three legions and defeated the power of Satan and the flesh through fasting, and replaced them with the power of the Holy Spirit, the cause of later triumphs in His ministry on earth.

My Dear and Beloved: When fasting overcomes all the above flesh components, when fasting is accompanied by humble attitude of renouncing our sins and repentance from our wrong ways, when fasting is accompanied by the act to share our food with the hungry and our clothes with the naked, when fasting is accompanied by the desirable submission to the will of God, this is the healthy and effective fasting. This is “the great value of empty stomach.” The time when we can draw closer to God, and the time that we can surrender our flesh to God, inviting Him to dwell in us, His angels surround us, and  the Holy Spirit to work through us. For God is pleased to operate on the empty stomach to heal us, to give us the strength, the courage, the wisdom and the victory over the power of darkness. And “Then your light will break forth like dawn, and you healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of God will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here Am I” (Isaiah 58:8-

9a) Therefore commit your life and ways to God as you agree to pray.

My Prayer: Father God I come before you in the name of Jesus who died on the cross for my sins to give me eternal life. Lord help and give me the self-control and the strength to overcome all the flesh desire and gives me the perseverance to fast and to commit my stomach in your hands. Lord help to do that and help me to repent from all my sins and be transform to the likeliness that want to see me. This all I ask and pray in Jesus name Amen.