1. The Digestive System

2. 3 functions
Digestion – breakdown of food into nutrients that can be absorbed in the form of molecules
Absorption – passage of nutrients into the bloodstream to be carried to body tissues & cells
Excretion – elimination of waste products

3. Gastrointestinal Tract
Extends from mouth to anus
The gastrointestinal tract consists of the following :
Mouth
Throat
Oesophagus
Stomach
Duodenum
Small bowel
Colon
Rectum
Anus

4. Other organs of GIT Liver (hepatobiliary system) Gallbladder Pancreas
These organs lie outside GIT but
contribute to the Digestion process

5. DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
STOMACH
LARGE INTESTINE
LIVER

6. Mouth Food is moistened and chewed (i.e. mastication)
Contains teeth, tongue,
Contains hard & soft palate (roof of mouth)
Contains uvula which stops food entering the nasal cavity with swallowing

7. Mouth Cont’d
Salivary glands supply saliva with digestive enzymes for food breakdown
Tonsils – located in oropharynx & produce leucocytes

8. Oesophagus Is a tube connecting pharynx to stomach
Moves food into stomach by peristalsis

9. Oesophagus word component
Word Root
Combining form
Meaning
Oesophag
oesophag/o
oesophagus

10. Stomach
Hollow organ
Lies below diaphragm in upper abdominal cavity, LUQ
It is divided into three (3) sections
i) the fundus
ii) the body which is the middle
section
iii) the pylorus (the lower, small end).

11. Stomach cont’d
Gastric juices break down the food into watery material to make absorption easier
Pepsin (an enzyme) also breaks down food
Has 2 sphincters
1. cardiac sphincter – prevents
regurgitation into oesophagus
2. pyloric sphincter – controls passage
of food into small intestine

12. Word Components Word Root Combining form Meaning gastr gastr/o stomach
pylor
pylor/o
pylorus

13. Small Intestine Is 6 metres long
Nutrients from broken down food is absorbed through the intestinal walls
3 sections
1. duodenum –connected to pylorus of
stomach
2. jejunum – middle section
3. ileum- lower section and joins onto large
intestine

14. Stoma -stomy Stoma means a surgical opening
-stomy is also referred to an operation to form an opening between two parts e.g. stomach to abdomen
Can be an opening from the intestine onto the outside of the body after surgical removal of part of intestine

15. -stomy Is joined onto combining forms to add meaning e.g.
Jejun / o / stomy
is creation of a new opening through the abdominal wall into the jejunum
Ile /o / stomy
is creation of a new opening through the abdominal wall into the ileum

16. -stomy It is also used with two combining forms for
organs & means an opening between two
body parts or organs that would normally be
separated
Gastr / o / enter / o /stomy is a new surgical opening between stomach and small intestine
NB: when the 2 combining forms gastr/o and enter/o are joined the combining vowel is retained

17. Suffixes Gram – refers to a drawing or picture
Graphy – refers to the technique of making a recording
Graph – refers to the instrument that make the recording

18. Word components Word root Combining form Meaning gastr gastr/o stomach
duoden
duoden/o
jejun
jenun/o
ile
ileo /o

19. Large Intestine (i.e. large bowel)
1 metre long
Water is absorbed through large intestine back into body
waste becomes solid

20. Large Intestine cont’d
3 major sections
Caecum hold appendix
Colon – ascending colon
transverse colon
descending colon
sigmoid colon
rectum

21. Word components Word Root Combining Form Meaning caec caec/o
a blind ended pouch
appendic
appendic/o
appendage
col
col/o
large bowel
sigm
sigmoid/o
sigmoid colon
rect
rect/o
rectum
peritone
peritone/o
peritoneum, membrane covering abdominal organs

22. Liver Liver –manufactures & releases bile Lies in RUQ Word Root
Combining Form
Meaning
Hepat
hepat/o
liver
Chol
chol/e
bile

23. Gallbladder Lies inferior surface of liver
stores bile & releases bile through common bile duct into duodenum
Word Root
Combining Form
Meaning
cyst
cyst/o
bladder,combined with chole it refers to gallbladder
choledoch
choledoch/o
common bile duct
lapar
lapar/o
soft part between ribs & hips
refers to the abdomen

24. Pancreas Lies posterior to stomach
Produces juices filled with enzymes to digest food
Releases digestive juices into the duodenum
Secretes insulin which is a hormone is released when blood sugar levels rise
pg 42

25. Procedures Cholecystectomy Cholecystography Colonoscopy Enterectomy
Hemicolectomy
Laparoscopy
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty pg 44

26. Prefixes Prefix Meaning dys difficult dyspepsia
difficulty with digestion
hypo
below
hypoglossal
below the tongue
sublingual
hyper
above.or more than normal
hyperemesis
excessive vomiting

27. Suffixes Suffix Meaning pepsia digestion ostomy surgical opening
colostomy
surgical opening into colon
otomy
surgical incision
gastrotomy
surgical incision into the stomach pg 45

28. Diseases and disorders
Adhesion – fibrous band
Ascites – accumulation of fluid in abdominal cavity
Cachexia – abnormally low weight
Cirrhosis – scarring of an organ (liver)
Divrticulum – abnormal pouch in wall of a tube (colon )
Cholelithiasis – stones in gallbladder pg 46