ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY (GI System)

Amoebiasis is an intestinal illness that’s typically transmitted when someone eats or

drinks something that’s contaminated with a microscopic parasite called Entamoeba histolytica
(E. histolytica). The parasite is an amoeba, a single-celled organism. That’s how the illness got
its name — amebiasis.
In many cases, the parasite lives in a person’s large intestine without causing any
symptoms. But sometimes, it invades the lining of the large intestine, causing bloody diarrhea,
stomach pains, cramping, nausea, loss of appetite, or fever. In rare cases, it can spread into
other organs such as the liver, lungs, and brain.

I. Structure. The GI System (digestive system) consists of the oral structures, esophagus,
stomach, small intestine, large intestine and associated structures.

A. Oral Structures include the lips, teeth, gingivae and oral mucosa, tongue, hard palate, soft
palate, pharynx and salivary glands.

B. The esophagus is a muscular tube extending from the pharynx to the stomach.

1. Esophageal openings include:

A. The upper esophageal sphincter at the cricopharyngeal muscle.
 B. The lower esophageal sphincter (LES), or cardiac sphincter, which normally remains
closed and opens only to pass food into the stomach.
C. The Stomach is a muscular pouch situated in the upper abdomen under the liver and
diaphragm. Te stomach consists of three anatomic areas: the fundus, body (i.e., corpus), and
antrum (i.e., pylorus)
D. Sphincters. The LES allows food to enter the stomach and prevents reflux into the
esophagus. The pyloric sphincter regulates flow of stomach contents (chyme) into the
duodenum.
E. The small intestine, a coiled tube, extends from the pyloric sphincter to the ileocecal
valve at the large intestine. Sections of the small intestine include the duodenum, jejunum and
ileum
F. The large intestine is a shorter, wider tube beginning at the ileocecal valve and
ending at the anus. The large intestine consists of three sections:
1. The cecum is a blind pouch that extends from the ileocecal valve to the
vermiform appendix.
2. The colon, which is the main portion of the large intestine, is divided into four
anatomic sections: ascending, transverse, descending and sigmoid.
3. The rectum extends from the sigmoid colon to the anus.
G. The ileocecal valve prevents the return of feces from the cecum into the small
intestine and lies at the upper border of the cecum.
H. The appendix, which collects lymphoid tissues, arises from the cecum.
II. Function. The GI system performs two major body functions: digestion and elimination.
A. Digestion of food and fluid, with absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream, occurs in the
upper GI tract, stomach and small intestines.
1. Digestion begins in the mouth with chewing and the action of ptyalin, an enzyme
contained in saliva that breaks down starch.
2. Swallowed food passes through the esophagus to the stomach, where digestion
continues by several processes.
3. From the pylorus, the mixed stomach contents (i.e. chyme) pass into the duodenum
through the pyloric valve.
4. In the small intestine, food digestion is completed, and most nutrient absorption
occurs. Digestion results from the action of numerous pancreatic and intestinal enzymes (e.g.,
trypsin, lipase, amylase, lactase, maltase, sucrase( and bile.
B. Elimination of waste products through defacation occurs in the large intestines and rectum.
In the large intestine, the cecum and ascending colon absorb water and electrolytes from the
now completely digested material. The rectum stores feces for elimination.