Anatomy of the Digestive System Minimal Requirements for Lab
Identify Structure and Name Function
I. Digestive (GI) tract (alimentary canal):
A. Oral cavity
1. Hard palate
i. Palatine process (horizontal plate) of the maxillary bone
ii. Palatine bone
2. Soft palate
i. Uvula
3.Tongue
i. Papilla
a. Filiform
b. Fungiform
c. Circumvallate
ii. Cranial nerve (C.N.) innervation
a. Sensory – CN V, VII, IX, and X
b. Motor – CN XII
4.Lingual frenulum
5.Tonsils
i. Palatine
ii. Lingual
iii. Pharyngeal
B. Pharynx
1. Nasopharynx
2. Oropharynx
3. Laryngopharynx
C. Layers of digestive tract
1. Mucosa
i. Simple columnar epithelium
ii. Lamina propria
iii. Muscularis mucosa
2. Submucosa
i. Submucosal plexus
ii. Submucosal glands
iii. Arteries and veins
3. Muscularis externa
i. Inner circular layer
ii. Myenteric plexus
iii. Outer longitudinal layer
4. The outer most layer of digestive tract consists of either the:
i. Adventitia outside of a closed internal body cavity or
ii. Serosa inside of a closed internal body cavity
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, D. Esophagus
1. Muscular layer
i. Skeletal muscle in upper (proximal) 1/3 of esophagus
ii. Mixture of skeletal and smooth muscle in middle 1/3 of esophagus
iii. Smooth muscle in lower (distal) 1/3 of esophagus
2. Lower esophageal (gastroesophageal or cardio-esophageal) sphincter (LES)
E. Stomach
1. Cardiac region (cardia)
2. Fundus
3. Body
4. Pyloric region
i. Pyloric sphincter
5. Lesser curvature
i. Lesser omentum
6. Greater curvature
i. Greater omentum
7. Rugae
8. Gastric pits and glands
i. Surface mucous (mucous neck) cells (note: these are not goblet cells)
ii. Parietal cells that secrete HCl (large cells, often stained red)
iii. Chief cells that produce pepsinogen (smaller cells, often stained blue)
iv. Enteroendocrine cells
9. 3 layers of smooth muscle
i. Inner oblique
ii. Middle circular
iii. Outer longitudinal
10. Serosa
F. Small intestines
1. Mesentery proper
2. Duodenum
3. Jejunum
4. Ileum
i. Ileocecal valve and junction
G. Large intestine
1. Mesocolon
2. Taenia coli – the outer longitudinal muscle has been reduced to 3 bands
i. Haustra
3. Colon
i. Cecum
a. Vermiform appendix
ii. Ascending colon
b. Right colic (hepatic) flexure
iii. Transverse colon
c. Left colic (splenic) flexure
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Identify Structure and Name Function
I. Digestive (GI) tract (alimentary canal):
A. Oral cavity
1. Hard palate
i. Palatine process (horizontal plate) of the maxillary bone
ii. Palatine bone
2. Soft palate
i. Uvula
3.Tongue
i. Papilla
a. Filiform
b. Fungiform
c. Circumvallate
ii. Cranial nerve (C.N.) innervation
a. Sensory – CN V, VII, IX, and X
b. Motor – CN XII
4.Lingual frenulum
5.Tonsils
i. Palatine
ii. Lingual
iii. Pharyngeal
B. Pharynx
1. Nasopharynx
2. Oropharynx
3. Laryngopharynx
C. Layers of digestive tract
1. Mucosa
i. Simple columnar epithelium
ii. Lamina propria
iii. Muscularis mucosa
2. Submucosa
i. Submucosal plexus
ii. Submucosal glands
iii. Arteries and veins
3. Muscularis externa
i. Inner circular layer
ii. Myenteric plexus
iii. Outer longitudinal layer
4. The outer most layer of digestive tract consists of either the:
i. Adventitia outside of a closed internal body cavity or
ii. Serosa inside of a closed internal body cavity
Page 1 of 7
, D. Esophagus
1. Muscular layer
i. Skeletal muscle in upper (proximal) 1/3 of esophagus
ii. Mixture of skeletal and smooth muscle in middle 1/3 of esophagus
iii. Smooth muscle in lower (distal) 1/3 of esophagus
2. Lower esophageal (gastroesophageal or cardio-esophageal) sphincter (LES)
E. Stomach
1. Cardiac region (cardia)
2. Fundus
3. Body
4. Pyloric region
i. Pyloric sphincter
5. Lesser curvature
i. Lesser omentum
6. Greater curvature
i. Greater omentum
7. Rugae
8. Gastric pits and glands
i. Surface mucous (mucous neck) cells (note: these are not goblet cells)
ii. Parietal cells that secrete HCl (large cells, often stained red)
iii. Chief cells that produce pepsinogen (smaller cells, often stained blue)
iv. Enteroendocrine cells
9. 3 layers of smooth muscle
i. Inner oblique
ii. Middle circular
iii. Outer longitudinal
10. Serosa
F. Small intestines
1. Mesentery proper
2. Duodenum
3. Jejunum
4. Ileum
i. Ileocecal valve and junction
G. Large intestine
1. Mesocolon
2. Taenia coli – the outer longitudinal muscle has been reduced to 3 bands
i. Haustra
3. Colon
i. Cecum
a. Vermiform appendix
ii. Ascending colon
b. Right colic (hepatic) flexure
iii. Transverse colon
c. Left colic (splenic) flexure
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