Understanding the Gastrointestinal System

This will be a discussion of the gastrointestinal system and a review of the anatomy and physiology of the system. Before you dive into this content, be sure you are free from distractions and can give it your full attention. Be sure that you have read the textbook pages that are associated with this content. Be prepared to actively learn. I will be sharing my knowledge and understanding with you, but you must do the learning. Participate in your learning. You will be the nurse next to that patient, not me. You need to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to take care of that patient safely, competently, and compassionately. Think beyond your next classroom exam. Rather, think about being that nurse taking care of that patient. That is what you are preparing for, not classroom examinations. Listen with curiosity, asking questions, seeking answers. Imagine being the nurse responsible for the care of this patient. Imagine being the patient needing this nursing care. Think about your prior experiences that are related to this content, from both the healthcare provider's point of view, and or the patient's point of view. Think about building knowledge on the foundation of what you already know. Be prepared to change your understanding of this content if new information is presented. Take advantage of this recorded source. Pause as needed to think about the content or write down notes or questions. Be curious about learning more. Review the content and your notes as needed to gain understanding that you seek. Test yourself on the content to determine if you really learned it or not. The first thing I want you to do is pause and reflect. I want you to start by stopping the recording and thinking. and writing down in these three areas. I want you to think about what you already know about this topic and write down at least three to five items. I want you to stop and think about any of your prior experiences related to the content. I want you to write down your thoughts and feelings. related to your experiences. Lastly, I want you to think about what you don't know about this content. Think about your gaps of knowledge and understanding and things that you're curious about learning. Write down at least three to five items. Then you'll be ready to dive into the content. Here are the learning objectives for this discussion. Make sure that you understand what the purpose of this is and that you'll be able to meet these objectives upon the completion. This slide shows the organs of the GI system, beginning with the mouth, teeth, tongue and salivary glands and ending with the external anal sphincter. This image also shows some organs outside the GI tract that contribute to the processes of digestion. These include the liver where bile is made, the gallbladder where bile is concentrated and stored, and the pancreas where digestive enzymes are made and excreted into the GI tract. The system has many parts and each contributes to health. and wellness by correct functioning. If one part is unable to complete its function due to disease, disorder, damage, etc., then the rest of the system may have problems completing their assigned functions. The GI system is under the influence of the nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system is what oversees the processes of digestion. Take a moment to pause and think. Think about each part of the GI system and what it does in order for the system to perform effectively. Consider what effects on the system there would be if there was disease, disorder, or damage to any individual part. How would that affect the rest of the system? How might the body compensate? for the lack of proper functioning and how might healthcare providers intervene to help a patient with these issues. This very simplified image breaks down the digestive processes that occur in the GI system. The processes are ingestion, propulsion, digestion, absorption, and elimination. Once food is swallowed, we have no direct control over its movement through the system. The entire GI tract experiences peristalsis that moves the digested materials continuously forward through the system. Peristalsis is what we are listening to when we auscultate bowel sounds. Digestion takes place both mechanically and chemically. Chewing and churning. mechanically break down food and enzymes and acids are created and excreted by various organs and aid in the chemical breakdown of food we call what we put into our mouths food once chewed and swallowed it is termed a food bolus after leaving the stomach it is called chyme and once it enters into the large intestines it is called stool absorption of nutrients occurs in the intestines and we'll talk more about that in a few slides. I'm time for you to pause and think. Recall the term a paralytic ileus. What part of the GI process is not functioning correctly in this condition? Recall the term constipation. What part of the GI process is not functioning correctly in this condition? Imagine a patient with damaged teeth and salivary glands. What part of the process would be impacted by this deficit? The genotrope is divided into the upper and lower parts. The upper part goes from the mouth through the duodenum. The glands of the mouth secrete approximately 1.5 liters of saliva a day. These secretions contain water, mucus, and enzymes, notably salivary amylase. begins to break down of food chemically. Chewing begins the mechanical breakdown of food. Food is then passed through the esophagus into the stomach. The esophagus is a muscular tube that propels the food bolus into the stomach. The food bolus enters the stomach where it is broken down by acids and enzymes secreted by the stomach that contribute to the chemical breakdown. and it is churned and mixed by the action of the stomach contributing to the mechanical breakdown of the food bolus as the stomach turns mixing the bolus with acids and enzymes the broken down bits are propelled through the pyloric sphincter and forced into the duodenum of the small intestines the stomach makes approximately 2.4 liters of fluid per day in the form of acids and enzymes and consider how what we eat and how well we chew might impact the work of the stomach that it must do to break down the food bolus into chyme and pass it through the small intestines. If not properly broken down, the small intestines will not be able to absorb the nutrients in the chyme. Some foods that can be moved through without being properly broken down include corn, nuts, and seeds. Most of the time these will pass harmlessly through the GI tract, but sometimes they are the cause of problems in the large or small intestines. The small intestine is made up of three sections that process the chyme and allow absorption of nutrients. The total length is approximately 20 feet. Digestive enzymes of the small intestines are maltase, sucrose, sucrase, sucrase, and lactase. The duodenum is the shortest section. It's about 10 to 15 inches and it's the c-shaped passage where the enzymes and bile salts are added to the chyme to further digestion and promote absorption. The duodenum is where iron is absorbed. The next section is the jejunum. It is approximately 8 feet long. Most other nutrients are absorbed in this section. The ileum is approximately 12 feet long. Vinlii provide a large surface area for nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream and distributed throughout the body. The colon begins at the cecum in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen. The appendix is located at the joining of the ilium and the cecum. The next section is called the ascending colon. And then the colon turns to cross the abdomen and that section is called the transverse colon. Then it turns again and becomes the descending colon. The colon then turns again into the sigmoid colon. and then it enters into the anal canal. Transit through the large intestine takes approximately 12 to 24 hours and no significant digestion takes place in the large intestines. The colon reabsorbs water and electrolytes from the chyme and shapes the residual waste products into a stool for elimination. The amount of time that food um the amount of time that the chyme spends in the colon impacts the consistency of the stool. Time for you to pause and think. I would like for you to consider a patient with a small bowel obstruction. Think about how that would impact peristalsis. Think about, will that stop the rest of the system from secreting its acids and enzymes? And what kinds of signs and symptoms would this patient experience under this condition? and then consider other patient scenarios with a disease disorder or damage to each piece of this process and how it would impact the system as a whole as previously mentioned there are other organs that contribute to the process of digestion and these include the liver the gallbladder and the pancreas the liver contributes to digestion by creating bile that emulsifies and breaks down fat Bile is stored and concentrated in the gallbladder and then is released into the duodenum via the common bile duct, which is shared with the pancreas. The liver produces 500 to 1,000 mLs a day of the bile and increases production and release when the GI system contains fatty chyme. So it senses the consistency and makeup of the chyme and changes. its secretions based on that. The pancreas has both endocrine and exocrine functions. Remember that an endocrine gland secretes into the bloodstream for systemic use and an exocrine gland secretes via ducts for local use. We're going to talk about the endocrine function of the pancreas when we do the endocrine system. but the exocrine function of the pancreas includes production and secretion of enzymes that aid in digestion including amylase, protease, and lipase. These are excreted through the pancreatic duct into the common bile duct and then into the duodenum of the small intestines. All right now on to elimination. The rectum is usually empty, but when stool or feces are moved into the rectum, pushed forward by peristalsis, then we get the reflex initiated to defecate. And the anal sphincter is what holds the anus closed until we choose to release that sphincter and release the feces and stool that is within our bodies and have a bowel movement. Here's another opportunity for you to pause and think. I would like for you to consider that a patient you're caring for has advanced liver disease. How will that impact the digestive process of the whole body? Would the nurse need to teach the patient to make any changes in their diet related to this condition? Some of the things that you'll need to make sure that you review and recall are all the anatomical parts of the GI system, all of the processes that take place throughout the system, and which pieces of the system do those processes, and then the enzymes and digestive secretions that come into play to further the breakdown and digestion and processing. of the food. This is the end of the content. Be sure to review these learning objectives. Test yourself on this information. If you still have gaps in your knowledge, review this presentation, dig into your textbook, watch videos, and or seek tutoring until you are sure of your knowledge and understanding of this content. Thank you.

I will be sharing my knowledge and understanding with you, but you must do the learning. Participate in your learning. You will be the nurse next to that patient, not me. You need to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to take care of that patient safely, competently, and compassionately.

Think beyond your next classroom exam. Rather, think about being that nurse taking care of that patient. That is what you are preparing for, not classroom examinations.

Listen with curiosity, asking questions, seeking answers. Imagine being the nurse responsible for the care of this patient. Imagine being the patient needing this nursing care.

Think about your prior experiences that are related to this content, from both the healthcare provider's point of view, and or the patient's point of view. Think about building knowledge on the foundation of what you already know. Be prepared to change your understanding of this content if new information is presented. Take advantage of this recorded source.

Pause as needed to think about the content or write down notes or questions. Be curious about learning more. Review the content and your notes as needed to gain understanding that you seek.

Test yourself on the content to determine if you really learned it or not. The first thing I want you to do is pause and reflect. I want you to start by stopping the recording and thinking.

and writing down in these three areas. I want you to think about what you already know about this topic and write down at least three to five items. I want you to stop and think about any of your prior experiences related to the content.

I want you to write down your thoughts and feelings. related to your experiences. Lastly, I want you to think about what you don't know about this content. Think about your gaps of knowledge and understanding and things that you're curious about learning. Write down at least three to five items.

Then you'll be ready to dive into the content. Here are the learning objectives for this discussion. Make sure that you understand what the purpose of this is and that you'll be able to meet these objectives upon the completion. This slide shows the organs of the GI system, beginning with the mouth, teeth, tongue and salivary glands and ending with the external anal sphincter. This image also shows some organs outside the GI tract that contribute to the processes of digestion.

These include the liver where bile is made, the gallbladder where bile is concentrated and stored, and the pancreas where digestive enzymes are made and excreted into the GI tract. The system has many parts and each contributes to health. and wellness by correct functioning.

If one part is unable to complete its function due to disease, disorder, damage, etc., then the rest of the system may have problems completing their assigned functions. The GI system is under the influence of the nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system is what oversees the processes of digestion. Take a moment to pause and think.

Think about each part of the GI system and what it does in order for the system to perform effectively. Consider what effects on the system there would be if there was disease, disorder, or damage to any individual part. How would that affect the rest of the system?

How might the body compensate? for the lack of proper functioning and how might healthcare providers intervene to help a patient with these issues. This very simplified image breaks down the digestive processes that occur in the GI system. The processes are ingestion, propulsion, digestion, absorption, and elimination. Once food is swallowed, we have no direct control over its movement through the system.

The entire GI tract experiences peristalsis that moves the digested materials continuously forward through the system. Peristalsis is what we are listening to when we auscultate bowel sounds. Digestion takes place both mechanically and chemically.

Chewing and churning. mechanically break down food and enzymes and acids are created and excreted by various organs and aid in the chemical breakdown of food we call what we put into our mouths food once chewed and swallowed it is termed a food bolus after leaving the stomach it is called chyme and once it enters into the large intestines it is called stool absorption of nutrients occurs in the intestines and we'll talk more about that in a few slides. I'm time for you to pause and think. Recall the term a paralytic ileus.

What part of the GI process is not functioning correctly in this condition? Recall the term constipation. What part of the GI process is not functioning correctly in this condition? Imagine a patient with damaged teeth and salivary glands. What part of the process would be impacted by this deficit?

The genotrope is divided into the upper and lower parts. The upper part goes from the mouth through the duodenum. The glands of the mouth secrete approximately 1.5 liters of saliva a day.

These secretions contain water, mucus, and enzymes, notably salivary amylase. begins to break down of food chemically. Chewing begins the mechanical breakdown of food.

Food is then passed through the esophagus into the stomach. The esophagus is a muscular tube that propels the food bolus into the stomach. The food bolus enters the stomach where it is broken down by acids and enzymes secreted by the stomach that contribute to the chemical breakdown. and it is churned and mixed by the action of the stomach contributing to the mechanical breakdown of the food bolus as the stomach turns mixing the bolus with acids and enzymes the broken down bits are propelled through the pyloric sphincter and forced into the duodenum of the small intestines the stomach makes approximately 2.4 liters of fluid per day in the form of acids and enzymes and consider how what we eat and how well we chew might impact the work of the stomach that it must do to break down the food bolus into chyme and pass it through the small intestines.

If not properly broken down, the small intestines will not be able to absorb the nutrients in the chyme. Some foods that can be moved through without being properly broken down include corn, nuts, and seeds. Most of the time these will pass harmlessly through the GI tract, but sometimes they are the cause of problems in the large or small intestines. The small intestine is made up of three sections that process the chyme and allow absorption of nutrients. The total length is approximately 20 feet.

Digestive enzymes of the small intestines are maltase, sucrose, sucrase, sucrase, and lactase. The duodenum is the shortest section. It's about 10 to 15 inches and it's the c-shaped passage where the enzymes and bile salts are added to the chyme to further digestion and promote absorption. The duodenum is where iron is absorbed.

The next section is the jejunum. It is approximately 8 feet long. Most other nutrients are absorbed in this section.

The ileum is approximately 12 feet long. Vinlii provide a large surface area for nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream and distributed throughout the body. The colon begins at the cecum in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen.

The appendix is located at the joining of the ilium and the cecum. The next section is called the ascending colon. And then the colon turns to cross the abdomen and that section is called the transverse colon. Then it turns again and becomes the descending colon.

The colon then turns again into the sigmoid colon. and then it enters into the anal canal. Transit through the large intestine takes approximately 12 to 24 hours and no significant digestion takes place in the large intestines.

The colon reabsorbs water and electrolytes from the chyme and shapes the residual waste products into a stool for elimination. The amount of time that food um the amount of time that the chyme spends in the colon impacts the consistency of the stool. Time for you to pause and think. I would like for you to consider a patient with a small bowel obstruction.

Think about how that would impact peristalsis. Think about, will that stop the rest of the system from secreting its acids and enzymes? And what kinds of signs and symptoms would this patient experience under this condition? and then consider other patient scenarios with a disease disorder or damage to each piece of this process and how it would impact the system as a whole as previously mentioned there are other organs that contribute to the process of digestion and these include the liver the gallbladder and the pancreas the liver contributes to digestion by creating bile that emulsifies and breaks down fat Bile is stored and concentrated in the gallbladder and then is released into the duodenum via the common bile duct, which is shared with the pancreas. The liver produces 500 to 1,000 mLs a day of the bile and increases production and release when the GI system contains fatty chyme.

So it senses the consistency and makeup of the chyme and changes. its secretions based on that. The pancreas has both endocrine and exocrine functions. Remember that an endocrine gland secretes into the bloodstream for systemic use and an exocrine gland secretes via ducts for local use. We're going to talk about the endocrine function of the pancreas when we do the endocrine system.

but the exocrine function of the pancreas includes production and secretion of enzymes that aid in digestion including amylase, protease, and lipase. These are excreted through the pancreatic duct into the common bile duct and then into the duodenum of the small intestines. All right now on to elimination. The rectum is usually empty, but when stool or feces are moved into the rectum, pushed forward by peristalsis, then we get the reflex initiated to defecate. And the anal sphincter is what holds the anus closed until we choose to release that sphincter and release the feces and stool that is within our bodies and have a bowel movement.

Here's another opportunity for you to pause and think. I would like for you to consider that a patient you're caring for has advanced liver disease. How will that impact the digestive process of the whole body? Would the nurse need to teach the patient to make any changes in their diet related to this condition?

Some of the things that you'll need to make sure that you review and recall are all the anatomical parts of the GI system, all of the processes that take place throughout the system, and which pieces of the system do those processes, and then the enzymes and digestive secretions that come into play to further the breakdown and digestion and processing. of the food. This is the end of the content. Be sure to review these learning objectives.

Test yourself on this information. If you still have gaps in your knowledge, review this presentation, dig into your textbook, watch videos, and or seek tutoring until you are sure of your knowledge and understanding of this content. Thank you.

Transcript for:Understanding the Gastrointestinal System

Transcript for:
Understanding the Gastrointestinal System