Digestive

Tract
Digestive Tract
Consist of several segments that differ morphologically and
Funtionally:
• Oral Cavity
• Pharynx
• Esophagus
• Stomach
• Small intestines
• Large Intestines
Accessory Glands of the Digestive Tract

Accessory Glands of the Digestive Tract – glands that form

distinct organs outside the digestive tract but connected to the
ducts.
• Salivary Glands
• Exocrine portion of Pancreas
• Liver
• Gall bladder
General Organization of the Digestive Tract

Mucosa
Submucosa
Muscularis mucosa
Mucosa
The mucosa of the Digestive System consists of three layers:

• Epithelium – lines luminal surface of entire Digestive tract.

• Lamina Propria – Loose connective tissue layer that is under
the Epithelium
- Contains blood and fine Lymphoid vessels(GALT)
• Muscularis mucosa – thin sheet of smooth muscle fibers that
forms the outermost layer of the mucosa
Submucosa

• Lies external to the Muscularis mucosa

• Made up of loose connective tissue (denser, more abundant,
more vascular than Lamina propia)
• Well supplied with GALT
Muscularis Externa
Consists of two Layers:
a. Inner layer – circularly oriented muscle fibers
b. Outer layer – longitudinally oriented
• Myenteric plexus – lies between outer and inner layer of ME of
Esophagus, Stomach and Intestines
• Myenteric plexus (of Auerbach) and Submucous plexus (of
Meissner) – comprise the enteric division of ANS
• Interstitial cells of Cajal – Pacemakers of gastrointestinal
motility
- located between nerves and smooth muscle cells
Adventitia/Serosa

• Serosa – outermost layer of the wall consist of connective

tissue that is lined externally by mesothelium in the areas of the
Digestive tract that are covered by peritoneum.
• Adventitia –outermost layer of the wall in the areas of
Digestive tract that is not covered by Peritoneum
Oral Cavity
Initial segment of the digestive tract
Continuous with the pharynx at the faucial isthmus
2 regions:
a. Vestibule - Teeth and gums
b. Oral cavity proper – Other part

• Food is reduced to smaller bits before passing through the

Pharynx.
Oral Cavity
MUCOSA AND SUBMUCOSA OF ORAL CAVITY
The Mucosa of Oral cavity is continuous with the skin at the margins of lips with
mucosa of pharynx
 The internal surface of lips and cheeks, the soft palate and ventral surface of
tongue the mucosal epithelium is Nonkeratinized stratified squamous
Over the hard palate and gums the mucosal epithelium is Keratinized stratified
squamous
 The Submucosa is not well delineated from lamina propia because there is no
muscularis mucosa
• A. Labial glands
• B. Buccal glands
MUSCULARIS EXTERNA OF THE ORAL CAVITY
Exist in the Lips and cheeks
Very atypical because the muscles that comprise it are named Skeletal muscle
arranged in various ways
Tongue
A muscular organ that plays an important role in mastication,
deglutition and speech.
• Sulcus terminalis – V-shaped furrow that divides Anterior and
Posterior tongue
• Foramen cecum – Apex of the V
• The tongue is made up of Skeletal muscle that are overlaid by
mucosa, on the ventral surface overlaid by submucosa
• Lingual papillae forms small protrusions on the anterior tongue
• Lingual tonsils make the posterior tongue lumpy
Tongue
LINGUAL PAPILLAE
Made up of stratified squamous epithelium, the tip of papillae is
keratinized
3 types of Papillae:
1. Filifrom papillae – most numerous, slender and tapering found all
over the dorsal surface of the Anterior tongue
2. Fungiform papillae – flattened, broader and scattered among, the
Filiform
3. Circumvallate papillae – arranged along the sulcus terminalis.
Largest but least in numbers, cylindrical structures whose base is
surrounded by a canal.
- where most taste buds can be seen
Tongue
GLANDS OF THE TONGUE
Glands of von Ebner – serous glands embedded at Lamina propia and
muscles in Circumvallate papillae
- Their secretions provides the medium wherein substances may be
dissolved in order to be tasted
Anterior lingual Glands – Mixed glands located in the submucosa in the
ventral apex of the tongue
TASTE BUDS
• Responsible for the sense of taste
• Embedded in the epithelium of Circumvallate and Fungiform papillae.
• 3 types of cells in taste buds:
 Sustentacular cells – slender and spindle shape
 Neuroepithelial cells – similar with sustentacular
 Basal cell – round found in the base of the Taste buds
Pharynx

• Funnel-shaped fibromuscular tube that is common to both the

digestive and respiratory systems.
Esophagus
Long muscular tube, serves as the passage way for food.
MUCOSA AND SUBMUCOSA OF ESOPHAGUS
• Esophageal mucosa consists of:
a. Epithelium – nonkeratinized stratified squamous. At the
esophageal junction, it changes to simple columnar epithelium
b. Lamina propria – richly supplied with GALT.
• At the lower end of esophagus, few sophageal cardiac glands are
confined at the Lamina propia
c. Muscularis mucosa – arranged longitudinal
• Submucosa – thicker than Lamina propria
 Consist of very resilient connective tissue contains GALT
 Contains elastic fibers and small blood vessels
 Contains Esophageal glands proper
Esophagus
MUSCULARIS EXTERNA AND ADVENTITIA OF THE ESOPHAGUS
Consist of 2 muscle layer:
• Outer layer - Arranged longitudinal
• Inner layer – Arranged circularly

In the Esophagus, muscularis externa are composed of muscle

fibers:
• Upper Third – consist of Skeletal muscle fibers
• Middle Third – mixture of Skeletal and Smooth muscle
• Lower Third – smooth muscle fibers
Stomach
J shaped hollow organ
Has a capacity of 1.5 liters.
This is where food is thoroughly softened, mixed and converted into
chyme.
Subdivided into:
• Cardia
• Fundus
• Body
• Pyloric region
• Pyloric antrum
• Pyloric canal
Mucosa of the Stomach
The Mucosa and part of the submucosa form rugae.
Gastric foveolae/pits – Formed when surface epithelium
invagirates into the lamina propia.
2 types of cells comprise the surface epithelium of stomach:
• Surface mucous cells – Mucus secreting cells that comprise the vast
majority of the cells in surface epithelium.
• Entero endocine cells
Glands of the Stomach
Also called Gastric Glands
Consist of 3 types:
• Fundic (Principal Gastric) – It is in the Fundus & Body
• Cardiac – In the Cardis
• Pyloric – In the Pylonis
Isthmus – Segment of gland that opens into the mucosal
surface
Fundic Glands
Most numerous and longest of the glands of the stomach
Populated by 5 types of cells:
• Parietal (Oxyntic)
• Produces hydrochlonic acid (HCI) responsible for the acidity of gastric juice.
• Produce intristmic factor-glycoprotein needed for absorption of Vitamin B1 in
the terminal region of the ileum.
• Zymogenic Cell (Chief) – Have secretory granules in cytoplasm that
contain pepsinogen
• Mucus Neck Cell – Their cytoplasm is slightly basophilic & contains
numerous secretory granules that have mucin.
• Stem Cell
• Entero Endocine Cells
Cardiac Glands
Cells are mostly mucus secreting pyloric glands.
Shorter but more coiled that fundic glands & cardiac gland

Pyloric Glands
Shorter but more coiled than fundic and cardiac glands
Most of the cells are mucus secreting cells
Gastric Mucosal Barrier
3 components of Gastric Mucosal Barrier
1. Compact Epithelium
2. A layer of Mucus
3. Bicarbonates Ions – Neutralize acids

4-5 pH resting PH of the stomach in the presence of food the

zymogenic cells release pepsinogen which is connected into
pepsin by H+.
After meal, the parietal cells secrete HCI to lower the pH of the
stomach to 1-2.
Submucosa, Muscolaris Externa,
Serosa of the Stomach
Submucosa of Stomach
• Made up of connective tissue. Well supplied with blood
vessels, nerves, and GALT.
Muscolaris Externa
• Thick and compose of 3 layers.
• Innermost layer consist of obliquely arranged smooth muscle fibers
• Layer of circularly-arranged muscle fibers
• Outermost layer consists of muscle fibers that are arranged
longhitudinally
Small Intestine
• Average length – 6-10m
• It is anchored to the posterior body wall by means of mesentery.
• Digestion is more or less completed. Segment of digestive tract where 90% of the
nutrients from digested food (including water) are absorbed.
3 Segments
1. Duodenum – Forms first 25 anti meters of small intestine.
2. Jejunum – Comprises 2/5.
3. Ileum – 3/5 of the remainder of the organ.

• Pyloric valve (Pyloric sphincter) –strong string of smooth muscle at the end of
the pyloric canal
Jejunum Ileum
Modification in the Mucosa and
submucosa of the Small intestine
Modification come in the form of
• Horizontal Mucosal Folds- luminal surface of the small
intestine which wrinkles are crescentic or circular horizontal
creases.
• Intestinal villi- fingerlike projection that lines the horizontal
mucosal folds.
• Lacteals- few oriented smooth muscle cells
• Microvilli
Epithelium of the small intestine
• Simple columnar
• Populated by 4 types of cells:
• Enterocytes- absorptive cells that are responsible for taking
up nutrients from the intestinal lumen.
• Goblet cells
• Enteroendocrine cells
• M-cells- (Membranous or microfold cells) are antigen
presenting cells
Intraepithelial Lymphocytes
• T-cells in the small intestine
• Part of intestinal GALT but
are functionally different from
the lymphocytes in the
lamina propria as they don’t
need priming
• They immediately release
cytokines in the presence of
antigens.
Lamina Propria and Muscularis of
small intestine
• Loose connective tissue richly supplied with blood and
lymphatic vessels, nerves and GALT in the form of
diffuse lymphoid tissue and lymph nodules
• Consist of lymphocytes, mast cells, plasma cells
macrophages, intestinal glands and crypts of
Lieberkuhn.
Crypts of Lieberkuhn
• Secrete a variety of
digestive enzymes
• 5 types of cells that
comprise the Crypts of
Lieberkuhn
• Stem cells
• Enterocytes
• Goblet cells
• Paneth cells
• Enteroendocrine cells
Submucosa of Small Intestine
• Peyer’s Patches- aggregates formed by lymphoid nodules.
They are longitudinally oriented oval bodies that sometimes
involved in the disease process.
• Brunner’s gland- submucosal gland. Compound coiled,
tubular, mucus secreting glands. Secrete epidermal growth
factor (Urogastrone)
Submucosa of Small Intestine

Peyer’s patches
Muscularis Externa
Serosa Adventitia of Small Intestine
Large Intestine
• 5 feet in length
• Consist of several segments:
• Cecum
• Vermiform appendix
• Ascending colon
• Transverse colon
• Descending colon
• Sigmoid colon
• Rectum
• Anal canal
Colon of Large Intestine
Mucosa of Large Intestine
• Transverse Rectal Folds – 2 or 3 folds are two
or 3 folds of mucosa that are present in the
proximal portion of the rectum
• Rectal columns of Morgagni- longitudinal
mucosal folds that are present in the anal canal
Muscularis Externa of Large Intestine

• Atypical due to the outer

layer is longitudinally-
arranged smooth muscle
fibers doesn’t surround
the organ evenly.
• It form 3 longitudinal
bands called Taeniae
coli
Serosa/Adventitia of Large Intestine

• Contains an unusually large

amount of adipose tissue
that forms grossly visible
pendulous masses called
appendices epiplociae
Vermiform Appendix
• Short, narrow, worm like
tubular evagination of the
cecum
• Average length is 8cm and
average diameter is 7-8 mm
• Once infected it can cause
Appendicitis