Veterinary Medical Terminology (Lesson 5: Digestive System)

Structures of the Digestive System

major structures of digestive system

oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine

associated organs of digestive system

salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, pancreas

structures of the oral cavity

lips, cheeks, hard palate, soft palate, salivary glands, tongue, teeth, periodontium

or/o and stomat/o

combining forms for mouth

hard palate

bony rostral portion of palate that’s covered with a specialized mucus membraneso

soft palate

soft, flexible caudal portion of palate involved in closing off the nasal passage during swallowing

palat/o

combining form for palate

tongue

movable muscular organ in the oral cavity used for tasting and processing food, grooming, and articulating sound

papillae

elevations on the dorsum of the tongue that provide its rough texture and contain the taste buds

gloss/o, lingu/o

combining forms for tongue

dent/o, dent/i, odont/o

combining forms for teeth

dentition

refers to the teeth as a whole, that is, the teeth arranged in the maxillary (upper) and mandibular (lower) arcades

deciduous dentition aka primary dentition

temporary set of teeth that erupt in young animals and are replaced at or near maturity. “Baby teeth”

decidu/o

combining form for shedding

permanent dentition

set of teeth that’s designed to last the lifetime of an animal

retained deciduous tooth

deciduous tooth that has not been shed

mixed dentition

the period in which both deciduous and permanent teeth are present

incisor

front tooth used for cutting; an incision is a cut; abbreviated I.

canine, fang, cuspid

long, pointed bonelike tooth located between the incisors and premolars. (cusp means having a tapering projection; cuspid means having one point); abbreviated C.

premolar, bicuspids

cheek tooth found between the canine teeth and molars. They have two points; abbreviated P.

molar

most caudally located permanent cheek tooth used for grinding

premolars and molars

cheek teeth

needle teeth

deciduous canines and third incisor of pigs

wolf teeth

rudimentary premolar 1 in horses

milk teeth

1st set of teeth “baby teeth”

tusks

permanent canines of pigs

carnassial tooth

large, shearing cheek tooth; upper P4 and lower M1 in dogs

fighting teeth

set of 6 teeth in llamas including upper vestigial incisors and upper and lower canines

gingiva

the mucous membrane that surrounds the teeth and forms the mouth lining aka “gums”

gingiv/o

combining form for gums

gingival sulcus

the gingival sulcus is located between the tooth and gingival margin

salivary glands

a group of cells located in the oral cavity that secrete a clear substance containing digestive enzymes (saliva)

saliva

A clear substance secreted by salivary glands containing digestive enzymes. It moistens food, begins the digestive process by aiding in bolus formation and some digestive enzyme activity (amylase in some animal species), and cleanses the mouth.

mandibular salivary glands

located near the mandible

sublingual salivary glands

located under the tongue

zygomatic salivary glands

located medial to the zygomatic arch

parotid salivary glands

located near the ear

para-

prefix for near

ot/o

combining form for ear

sialaden/o, sial/o

combining forms for salivary glands and saliva

pharynx

aka “throat”. The cavity in the caudal oral cavity joining the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems.

pharyng/o

combining form for pharynx

mastication

the process of chewing

ingesta

material taken in orally (ingested)

deglutition

process of swallowing

phag/o

combining form for eating or ingesting

gullet

the passage by which food passes from the mouth to the stomach; the esophagus

esophagus

a collapsible, muscular tube that leads from the oral cavity to the stomach. The esophagus is located dorsal to the trachea.

esophag/o

combining form for esophagus

sphincter

a ringlike muscle that constricts an opening. The esophagus enters the stomach through an opening that’s surrounded by a sphincter.

abdomen

the cavity located between the diaphragm and pelvis

abdomin/o, celi/o

combining forms for abdomen

lapar/o

combining form for abdomen and flank

peritoneum

the membrane lining that covers the abdominal and pelvic cavities and some of the organs in that area

stomach

the internal organ in which the major part of the digestion of food occurs

lesser omentum

a fold of peritoneum that connects the stomach to other visceral organs

greater omentum

a fold of peritoneum connecting the stomach and other visceral organs to the dorsal abdominal wall

gastr/o

combining form for stomach

monogastric

monogastric animals have one true, or glandular, stomach

ruminant

having one true stomach, but also three forestomachs (rumen, reticulum, and omasum), which are actually outpouchings of the esophagus

cardia

entrance area located nearest the esophagus

fundus

base of an organ, which is the cranial, rounded part

body, corpus

main portion of an organ, which is the rounded base or bottom

antrum

caudal part, which is the constricted part of the stomach that joins the pylorus

pylorus

narrow passage between the stomach and the duodenum

pylor/o

“gatekeeper” referring to the narrow passage between the stomach and the duodenum (pylorus)

rugae

folds present in the mucosa of the stomach that produce gastric juices that aid in digestion and mucus that forms a protective coating for the stomach lining

pyloric sphincter

the muscle ring that controls the flow of material from the stomach to the duodenum of the small intestine

intestinal flora

Microorganisms residing in the gastrointestinal tract that produce enzymes that can digest plant cells through fermentation

rumen/paunch

The largest compartment of the ruminant stomach that serves as a fermentation vat. It is divided into a ventral sac and a dorsal sac.

cud

Regurgitated food particles, fiber, rumen fluid, and rumen microorganisms.

reticulum aka “honeycomb”

most cranial compartment of the ruminant stomach; also called the honeycomb because it is lined with a mucous membrane that contains numerous intersecting ridges

omasum

Third compartment of the ruminant stomach. It has short, blunt papillae that grind food before it enters the abomasum. Omasal contractions also squeeze fluid/water out of the food bolus.

abomasum aka “true stomach”

Fourth compartment of the ruminant stomach; also called the true stomach. It is the glandular portion that secretes digestive enzymes.

mesentery

A fold of the peritoneum that attaches the small intestine to the dorsal abdominal wall.

enter/o

combining form for “small intestine”

gastroenterology

The study of the stomach and small intestine.

duodenum

Proximal/first portion of the small intestine. The proximal portion also is known as the most oral portion. The segment of the small intestine located nearest the mouth.

duoden/i, duoden/o

combining forms for “duodenum”

jejunum

middle portion of the small intestine

jejun/o

combining form for jejunum

ileum

Distal/last portion of the small intestine. 

aboral

Adjective describing something located opposite to or away from the mouth.

ile/o

combining form for “ileum”

chyle

A milky fluid made up of digested food that is absorbed through the intestinal wall and travels via the thoracic duct, where it is passed into veins.

Extends from the pylorus to the proximal part of the large intestine.

small intestine aka small bowel

Extends from the ileum to the anus.

large intestine aka large bowel

Divided into three parts (ascending, transverse, descending).

colon

bends or curves

flexures

the bend in the colon near the pelvis

pelvic flexure

the bend in the colon near the diaphragm

diaphragmatic flexure

accessory organs

salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, pancreas

combining form for liver

hepat/o

organ that removes glucose from bloodstream and stores it as glycogen

liver

condition resulting from low blood sugar; when the liver converts glycogen back into glucose and releases it

hypoglycemia

bile

Fluid that travels down the hepatic duct to the cystic duct, which leads to the gallbladder. It alkalinizes the small intestine and bile salts play a role in fat digestion.

pertaining to bile

biliary

bile is forced out of this duct into the common duct when the gallbladder contracts

cystic duct

carries bile into the duodenum

common bile duct

combining form for cyst, sac of fluid, or urinary bladder

cyst/o