Serosa
the outermost layer of the small intestine, reinforced by fibrous connective tissue
Muscle Layers of the Small Intestine
Outer layer→ Longitudinal- Peristalsis
Inner layer→ Circular- Segmentation
Submucosa
Layer separating the muscle from the inner lining of the small intestine
Mucosa
Inner layer of the small intestine that absorbs material through its surface epithelium
Features of Villi
-Microvilli→ ruffling of epithelial membrane
-Rich blood supply
-Single layer epithelium
-Intestinal glands→ release digestive juices
-Membrane protens→ facilitates transport
Epiglottis
Prevents the bolus from entering the trachea
Uvula
prevents the bolus from entering the nasal cavity
Chyme
The digestion of bolus within the stomach for several hours which turns it into a creamy paste
Peristalsis
when longitudinal smooth muscle rhythmically contracts and relaxes, causes the food to be moved
Segmentation
-contraction and relaxation of non-adjacent segments of circular smooth muscle in the intestines
-bidirectional
What is the protective layer in the stomach called?
The stomach epithelium contains a mucous membrane which prevents the acids from damaging the gastric lining
Bile function
Bile contains bile salts which interact with fat globules and divide them into smaller droplets EMULSIFICATION
Carbohydrate digestion in the small intestine
Enzymes for disaccharide hydrolysis are often immobilised on the epithelial lining of the small intestine, near channel proteins
Protein digestion in the small intestine
Smaller polypeptide chains enter the small intestine where they are broken down by endopeptidases released by the pancreas (neutral pH)
Alimentary canal
consists of organs through which food actually passes through
accessory organs
aid in digestion but do not actually transfer food
Sections of the small intestine
duodenum
jejunum
ileum
Active transport in the small intestine- molecules
glucose, amino acids
Facilitated diffusion in the small intestine- molecules
monosaccharides
Osmosis in the small intestine- molecules
Water
Simple diffusion in the small intestine- molecules
triglycerides
Amylase
-Breaks amylose into maltose subunits in the mouth and the small intestine (pH~7)
-Breaks amylopectin into branched chains called DEXTRINS
Breaking down of maltose and dextrin
-They are digested by the enzymes maltase which is fixed to the epithelial lining of the small intestine
-The hydrolysis of maltose/dextrin results in glucose monomers
Breakdown of starch- fuctions of the pancreas
-releases amylase which is released from exocrine glands
-produces insulin and glucagon from endocrine glands
Exocrine vs Endocrine
Exocrine glands→secrete their substances onto your body's surfaces
Endocrine glands→ secrete their substances directly into the bloodstream
Key functions of digestion
-Breaks down insoluble molecules into smaller subunits which can be readily absorbed into body tissues
-Breaks down inert molecules into usable subunits which can be used by cells and reassembled into new products