The Gastrointestinal System (Physiology)

1. Describe the processes by which materials move through the gastrointestinal tract.
2. List and describe the mechanisms that regulate the activities of the digestive system.
3. Describe the process of swallowing.
4. Describe the roles of the stomach in digestion and absorption.
5. Explain the functions of the intestinal secretions, and discuss the regulation of secretory activities.
6. Describe the functions of the pancreas, liver and gallbladder and explain how their activities are regulated and coordinated.
7. Describe the absorptive processes of the large intestine.
8. Describe the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins.
9. Discuss the mechanisms by which water, electrolytes and vitamins are absorbed.
 

Part A  

1. Develop a menu of foods that you might eat for dinner. 

2. Include the main food groups:  carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and at lease one vitamin. 

3. Then, walk the meal through the digestive organs starting with the cephalic phase and ending in the toilet. 

4. Describe what happens at each step of the pathway.  Be sure to account for each nutrient’s digestion and absorption.

  A poster illustrating the journey of the four food groups in one's digestive organs with a descriptive accounting for each nutrient's digestion and absorption. 

Part B 

1. Some patients who have gallstones develop pancreatitis.  How could this occur?

2. What symptoms would you expect to observe in a patient who suffers form a blockage at the level of the jejunum of the small intestine?

3.  Why should a person who has stomach ulcers avoid aspirin?

4.  What symptoms would you expect to find in a chronic alcoholic with cirrhosis of the liver?

5. A female college student, Amelia goes to the doctor for a check-up.  She is 5’8" and weighs 80 pounds.  Examination of her teeth reveals a marked wearing of the enamel.  When asked about the foods that she had eaten that day, she described a normal diet.  When asked about her weight she indicates that she should be on a diet, but can control herself.   What would you diagnose in this case?

  A report of your answers to the five questions with supporting references from the texg (indicate pages) or the Internet (cite URLs).