Digestion and Bowel Function Lecture Notes

Key Points:

• This information is educational, not medical advice.
• The digestive system breaks down food, absorbs nutrients, and eliminates waste.

Digestive Process:

1. Activation: Initiated automatically when food is consumed.
2. Stomach: Food is broken down and mixed with digestive juices, converting it into liquid form.
3. Small Intestine: Nutrient absorption and further digestion occur here.
4. Large Intestine (Colon):
   • Water and salts absorbed
   • Waste becomes firmer and forms stool
5. Peristalsis:
   • Series of muscle contractions pushing stool towards rectum
   • 3-4 major movements daily
   • Transit time: 2.4 days for females, 1.9 days for males
6. Rectal Signal: Nerve endings signal to the brain when the rectum is full.
7. Sphincter Action:
   • Internal sphincter relaxes reflexively
   • External sphincter relaxes consciously to expel stool
8. Continence Maintenance: Both internal and external sphincters contract to prevent leakage between bowel movements.

Conclusion:

• Thank you for viewing this module.
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