VET1620 DIGESTIVE SYSTEMS

What is prehension?

Prehension is the process by which animals grasp or seize food or other objects using their lips, teeth, tounge, forelimbs, and other body parts.

What is Mastication?

Mastication is the initial breakdown of food and enables mixing with saliva containing enzymes that begin the digestive process.

What is Deglutition?

Deglutition is the movement of food along the digestive tract.

What is absorption?

Absorption is the passage of materials from the lumen of the small intestine, through the walls into the bloodstream for transport and storage.

What is Metabolism?

Metabolism includes chemical reactions in which food components are altered to produce or store energy.

What is Catabolism?

Catabolism is the breakdown of complex molecules to form simpler ones, together with release of energy.

What is Anabolism?

Anabolism is the synthesis of complex molecules to form simpler ones, together with the storage of energy.

What is the hard palate?

The hard palate is the roof of the mouth and consists of bone covered in keratinised epithelium tissue.

What is the soft palate?

The soft plate is where the hard palate merges into the soft palate caudally, comprised of soft tissue.

What is the lingual vein?

The lingual vein runs on the ventral surface of the tounge, draining into the jugular vein. It collects venous blood.

What is the Frenulum?

The frenulum attaches the tounge to the floor of the mouth.

What is the Pharynx?

The pharynx links the oral cavity to the oesophagus and prevents food from entering the trachea. It is essential to the mechanics of Deglutition.

What is Peristalsis?

Peristalsis is a series of muscular contractions that move food and liquid through the digestive tract.

What does Monogastric mean?

A monogastric animal has a single stomach.

What does ruminant mean?

A ruminant animal has a four chambered complex stomach.

What is the Cardia?

The cardia is the area surrounding the opening from the oesophagus into the stomach. Blood to this region is supplied by the left gastric artery.

What is the Fundus?

The fundus forms a distensible pouch which expands and contains parietal cells which produce HCl, chief cells which produce pepsinogen, and mucous cells.

What is the pyloric Antrum?

It mechanically grinds swallowed food and regulates HCl production. It contains G cells which secrete gastrin into the blood when stimulated by food.

What is the pylorus?

The pylorus is a muscular sphincter which regulates movement of chyme from the stomach to the duodenum and prevents backflow of contents into stomach.

What is chyme?

Chyme is the product in the stomach following food material breakdown.

What is emesis?

Emesis is the expulsion of stomach contents, and can be due to gastric foreign bodies, gastritis, gastric dilation, poisons or diseases such as pancreatitis.

What is Gastric Dilation and Volvos (GDI)?

GDI is when the stomach expands, and changes position resulting in rotation twisting off its own blood supply and the exit route for food and gas inside.

What is the small intestines function?

It is the main site for absorption of digestion products, enzymatic digestion also occurs here.

What is the duodenum?

The duodenum is where chyme moves after exiting the stomach, chyme stimulates the production of pancreatic juices and bile into the duodenum via pancreatic and bile ducts.

What is the jejunum?

The jejunum is the longest portion comprising of thick walled coils containing large villi. Cranial section is primarily responsible for further chemical digestion and the majority of nutrients occurs in the caudal section.

What is the Ileum?

The ileum is the thin walled part of the small intestine that leads to the caecum via ileosacral junction.

What is the function of the pancreas?

The pancreas has endocrine and exocrine functions. It produces bicarbonate and digestive enzymes.

What are microvilli?

Contain intestinal glands and increase the surface area of intestines and increase efficiency of digestion and absorption.

What are lacteals?

Lacteals are a lymphatic capilary which absorbs lipids and fatty acids as the molecules are too large to pass into the bloodstream.

What is the function of the large intestine?

The large intestine is responsible for the recovery of lucid and electrolytes, and storage of faeces. It contains mucus producing glands. It is also responsible for the breakdown of fibre and production of amino acids.

What is the Ascending colon?

The ascending colon receives contents from the caecum and begins the process of extraction of water and other key nutrients.

What is the Transverse colon?

The transverse colon is responsible for absorbing water and salt and crosses the abdomen. From the ascending to the descending regions it’s the longest.

What is the descending region?

The descending region contains gut flora, and stores waste which gradually solidifies.

What is the Sigmoid colon?

The sigmoid colon possesses muscular walls which contract to increase internal pressure.

What is the caecum?

The caecum is located at the ileocaecal junction and is the site for microbial action on digested food stuffs.

What are hindgut fermenters?

Hind gut fermenters are herbivores which have a monogastric stomach that digests plant fiber and cellulose using symbiotic microbes located in the caecum and large intestine.

What is the function of the gall bladder?

The gall bladder stores and secretes bile, produced by the liver via the bile duct to aid digestion of fats.