CH 4 Gastroenterology / Gastrointestinal system

Gastroenterology

The medical specialty that studies the anatomy and physiology of the gastrointestinal system

Gastr/o-

Stomach prefix

Enter/o-

Intestine prefix

Gastrointestinal (Digestive) System

The elongated, continuous body system that begins in the mouth, continues through the thoracic cavity, fills the abdominopelvic cavity, and ends on the surface of the lower body

Digest food, absorb nutrients, remove waste from the body

Main Functions of the gastrointestinal system

Mechanical digestion

Breaks up food with physical force and movement

Mastication

Tearing, chewing, and grinding of food by the teeth (Mechanical digestion)

Deglutition

Swallowing food (Mechanical digestion)

Peristalsis

The movement of the food via muscular contractions (Mechanical digestion)

Anorexia

Decreased appetite because of disease or the gastrointestinal side effect of a drug (eating diseases)

orex/o-

appetite prefix

Dysphagia

Difficult or painful eating or swallowing (eating diseases)

Phag/o-

Eating or swallowing prefix

Polyphagia

Excessive overeating due to overactive thyroid, diabetes, mellitus, or psychiatric illness

Mouth

The first part of the gastrointestinal (GF) tract

• Lined with mucosa, which produces thin mucus

• It contains a number of important structures

  • Teeth

  • Gums

  • Tongue

  • Hard palate (top of mouth)

  • Soft palate (back of throat)

Glossitis

Infection or inflammation of the tongue (oral cavity and salivary gland diseases)

Gloss/o-

Tongue prefix

Sialolithiasis

Presence of a “stone” in a salivary gland that blocks saliva and causes swelling (oral cavity and salivary gland diseases)

Sial/o-

Saliva prefix

Lith/o-

Stone prefix

Stomatitis

Inflammation of the oral mucosa (oral cavity and salivary gland diseases)

Stomat/o-

Mouth prefix

Pharynx

Swallowing moves food and saliva from the oral cavity to the

• A shared passageway for inhaled air, exhaled air, and food

• Divided into three parts

  • Nasopharynx - sits behind the nose

  • Oropharynx - sits behind the mouth

  • Laryngopharynx - sits behind the larynx

Esophagus

A muscular tube that connects the pharynx to the stomach

• The upper ______ is in the neck

• The lower _____ is in the thoracic cavity

• Coordinated peristalsis of the esophageal walls keeps food moving

Stomach

An elongated sac organ

Cardia

Where the stomach joins the esophagus

Fundus

The rounded, upper portion of the stomach

Body

The main part of the stomach

Pylorus

The narrow last part of the stomach that joins the duodenum

Gastric

The adjective form for the stomach

Dyspepsia

Temporary epigastric pain; indigestion (Esophagus and Stomach diseases)

Peps/o-

Digestion

Gastritis

Acute or chronic inflammation of the stomach (Esophagus and Stomach diseases)

Gastroenteritis

Acute infection or inflammation of the stomach and intestines (Esophagus and Stomach diseases)

Esophageal varix

Swollen, protruding vein in the esophageal mucosa

• Abnormal dilation

• Swollen vein

• Can rupture and cause serious bleeding

Endoscopy

Esophageal varices can be seen when an endoscope (flexible, lighted instrument) with a light is passed through the mouth and into the esophagus

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Chronic irritation of the esophagus due to reflux of stomach acid

• Due to failure of the esophageal sphincter

• Can lead to ulcers or cancer

• Stomach acid flows back into the esophagus

• The lower esophageal sphincter does not close properly

(Esophagus and Stomach diseases)

Pyrosis (heartburn)

Temporary irritation of the esophagus due to reflux of stomach acid (Esophagus and Stomach diseases)

Pyr/o-

Burning, fire

Hematemesis

Vomiting of blood originating from the upper gastrointestinal tract (Esophagus and Stomach diseases)

-emesis

Vomiting suffix

Nausea and vomiting (N&V)

___ is an unpleasant, queasy feeling in the stomach; ____ is expulsion of stomach contents through the mouth (Esophagus and Stomach diseases)

Peptic ulcer disease (PUD)

An ulcer that develops in the lining of the stomach or duodenum, causing pain and irritation. Chronic irritation; burning pain, and erosion of the mucosa due to an ulcer

• May be in the stomach, esophagus, or duodenum

• Usually caused by H. pylori when it occurs in the stomach or longtime use of NSAIDS

• Can also be caused by hydrochloric acid, stress, and drugs

(Esophagus and Stomach diseases)

H. pylori

Bacteria that causes Peptic ulcer disease commonly in the stomach

Adenocarcinoma (stomach cancer)

Cancerous tumor of the stomach that begins in gastric mucosal glands; often caused by H. pylori

Aden/o-

Gland prefix

Carcin/o-

Cancer prefix

Small intestine

Organ that runs from the stomach to the large intestine

Duodenum

The c-shaped first segment of the small intestine; approximately 10 inches long

Jejunum

The middle segment of the small intestine; approximately 8 feet long

Ileum

The third segment of the small intestine; approximately 12 feet long

Ileus

Absence of normal peristalsis

• May be caused by mechanical obstruction, infection, or trauma

• May also occur as postoperative ____

• (Duodenum, Jejunum, and Ileum Diseases)

Ileus

To roll, colic

Intussusception

Telescoping of one intestinal segment inside another

• Intestine folds back on itself in the same way that one part of a telescope slides into the other

• Stop peristalsis and decrease blood flow to the intestine

(Duodenum, Jejunum, and Ileum Diseases)

Intussuscept/o-

Receive within prefix

Volvulus / malrotation

Twisting or rotating of the small intestine around itself, malrotation

• The intestine becomes twisted

• Stop peristalsis and decrease blood flow to the intestine

(Duodenum, Jejunum, and Ileum Diseases)

Volvere

To roll suffix

Large intestine

Organ that runs from the small intestine to the anus and consists of three parts

Cecum

First part of the large intestine

• Contains the ileocecal valve

• Appendix is attached

Colon

Second part of the large intestine. Broken into ascending (upward), transverse (across), descending (downward), and sigmoid (s-shaped) sections.

Rectum

The straight, final segment of the large intestine

• Connects to the outside via the anus

Appendicitis

Inflammation and infection of the appendix by waste materials trapped inside it

• Obstruction of its opening by trapped decal material

• Trapped fecal material, which can lead to an infection

(Cecum and Colon diseases)

Colon cancer

Cancerous tumor of the colon that develops when colonic polyps or ulcerative colitis become cancerous

• Caused by uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the colonic lining

• Risk increasing with certain colonic polyps and long-standing ulcerative colitis

(Cecum and Colon diseases)

Diverticulum

Weakness in the colon wall forms a pouch

• These pouches in the wall of the colon are diverticular sacs where feces can become trapped

(Cecum and Colon diseases)

Diverticulitis

Inflammation due to feces getting trapped in a diverticulum; often caused by low fiber diet

• Polyps can be irritated by the passage of feces and can become cancerous

(Cecum and Colon diseases)

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Condition with cramping, pain, diarrhea, bloating, constipation, and excessive mucus but no inflammation (Cecum and Colon diseases)

• No evidence of inflammation or structural damage to the itestine

• Often accompanied by changes in bowel habits

Polyposis

An abnormal condition of numerous polyps, which are fleshy benign growths in the mucosa (Cecum and Colon diseases)

Gluten sensitivity enteropathy

Autoimmune disorder and toxic reaction to gluten in certain grains;

• inflammatory response damages small intestine

• (Cecum and Colon diseases)

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Chronic inflammation of parts of the small and large intestines (Cecum and Colon diseases)

Crohn disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that affects the ileum and colon (Cecum and Colon diseases)

Ulcerative colitis

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects the colon and rectum, can cause ulcers (Cecum and Colon diseases)

Hemorrhoids

Swollen, protruding veins of the rectum or on the anus (Rectum and Anus Diseases)

Proctitis

Inflammation of the rectum due to radiation treatments for cancer

Proct/o-

Rectum and anus prefix

Mastic/o-

Swallowing prefix (M)

Deglutit/o-

Swallowing prefix (D)