Jabir Ibn Hayyan Medical University Department of

Faculty of Medicine Physiology and Medical Physics

Physiology of Digestive System
2nd year/ Lecture 4 By Lecturer Dr. Noor Zuhair

Secretions of the Small Intestine

Intestinal juice: refers to the clear to pale yellow watery secretions, 1-2 L/day (pH 7.4-7.8), sources
of juice from the intestinal glands (Brunner’s and crypts of lieberkuhn), pancreatic juice, and bile
secretion. The juice containing; 1/fluid and electrolytes and ions (neutralize the chyme acidity
from stomach), 2/Digestive enzyme (nutrients digestion), 3/Mucous (intestine cells protection),
4/Hormones (intestine secretions and motility regulation).

2 Types of Intestinal Glands lie at the base of each villus :

1. Brunner’s Glands: are branched tubular (compound) glands they are located in submucosa layer
of proximal duodenum (mainly between the pylorus and the papilla of vater). These glands (open
into the Crypts of Lieberkühn), secrete alkaline watery fluid and HCO3 (provide pH 8.3 for
neutralization of the acidic gastric juice to protect the duodenal wall from digestion), a little of
enzymes and mucus in response to the followings; 1) Irritating stimuli of the mucosa. 2) Vagal
stimulation. 3) GIT hormones (especially secretin); and inhibited by sympathetic stimulation.

2.Crypts of Lieberkühn:
are simple tubular glands and lie between the intestinal villi, they secrete enzymes and mucus.

4 Layers of S.I.

1) Mucosa
(villi, brush border, crypts)

2) Submucosa
(Brunner’s gland, B.V.)

3) Muscular
(circular, longitudinal)

4) Serosa

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Types of Intestinal cells lie in the crypts and villi are :
1) Goblet cells: Found between enterocytes, secrete mucus (mucin) that lubricates and protects
the intestinal surfaces.
2) Enterocytes: are 1)Absorptive epithelial cells that cover the villi. These cells that taken the
nutrients from diet and deliver into blood. 2)Secrete large quantities of H 2O and electrolytes (pH
7.5-8) into the crypts; and over the surfaces. The villi, reabsorb the H2O and electrolytes with the
end product of digestion.
3) Enteroendocrine cells: Secrete hormones into the blood, such as cholecystokinin (CCK), gastrin
(G cells), and secretin (S cells),..etc.
4) Paneth cells: They have a defensive functions, by produce antimicrobial peptides such as
defensin, as well as bactericidal enzymes such as lysozyme and phospholipase (lyse bacteria) by
phagocytosis.
5) Stem cells : are the cells that give rise to both crypt and villus epithelial cells, renewing the
epithelium every few days. Daughter cells undergo several rounds of cell division (proliferation) in
the crypts then migrate out on to villi (differentiation), where they are eventually shed and lost in
the stool (Apoptosis).

Digestive Enzymes in the small intestine secretions :

These enzymes are mainly seen in the brush border of the enterocytes cause hydrolysis of food.
These digestive enzymes are:
Enzymes Substrates Products
Enteropeptidase Trypsinogen Trypsin
Peptidase Polypeptides Amino acids
Lipase Fats or Lipid Glycerol and fatty acids
Maltase Maltose Glucose
Lactase Lactose Galactose and glucose
Sucrase Sucrose Fructose and glucose
Dextrinase ᾳ-Dextrins Glucose
Nuclease Nucleotides Phosphates, nitrogenous bases and
pentose

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 Intestinal or Enteroendocrine cells Hormones :
1. Secretin: From S cells in duodenum, this hormone responds to acidity of chyme. Stimulation
the secretion of sodium bicarbonate by the duct cells of pancreas and biliary tract, and cause
contraction of the pyloric sphincter.
2. Cholecystokinin (CCK): from I cells in duodenum, this hormone is secreted in response to
chyme with amino acids, fatty acids in duodenum. Stimulates the release of digestive enzymes
in pancreas and contraction of the gall bladder to stimulates the emptying of bile.
3. Gastric Inhibitory Peptide (GIP): from K cells in duodenum and jejunum, its secretion is
stimulated by glucose and fat in the duodenum, inhibits gastric secretion and motility, as well
as induce the insulin secretion.
4. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP): from chief cells, stimulates intestinal secretion of water
and electrolytes, inhibition of gastric acid secretion, relaxation of intestinal smooth muscle and
sphincters, dilation of peripheral blood vessels (increased blood flow during GI activity).
5. Motilin: from M cells in stomach, duodenum and colon. It acts on accelerates gastric emptying
by stimulates GIT motility.
6. Somatostatin: from D cells, inhibits the secretion of gastrin, VIP, GIP, secretin, and motilin.
7. Peptide YY : from L cells in the jejunum is stimulated by fat. It also inhibits gastric acid
secretion and motility.

Types of Movement of the small intestine:

1) Mixing contraction (segmentation contraction):

 the segmentation contraction is activated by ENS (localized), When a portion of small intestine
becomes distended with chyme, to divide the intestine into spaced segments, the length of each
one= 1cm, which have the appearance of a chain of sausages.
 As one set of segmentation relaxes, a new set begins - at new points between the previous
contractions.
 The significance of segmentation contraction: Alternating contraction and relaxation of the
circular smooth muscle in the gut wall also provides mix the chyme with the juices and bring
products of digestion in contact with absorptive surfaces.

2) Propulsive movements (peristalsis): Occur in any part of the small intestine, distention and
stretching of the gut wall due to accumulation of food, stimulation of ENS, contraction of the
longitudinal smooth muscles 2-3cm behind contractile ring and relaxation in front of the bolus.
Peristaltic waves are required for: 1) Progression of the chyme from pylorus toward the ileocecal
valve. 2) Spread out the chyme along the intestinal mucosa.

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Absorption in the Gastrointestinal tract (GIT):

The cell membrane act as barrier that allow to movement of molecules from the lumen into the
enterocyte (lumen side), and from the enterocyte into the blood (blood side). Some small
molecules are cross through tight junctions (paracellular) such as water, while the larger molecules
movement across the cell membrane (transcellular) such as glucose and amino acids. Absorption
of molecules across the cell membrane can occur through five mechanism:

1) Active transport, 2) Passive transport, 3) Facilitated diffusion,

4) co-transport (or secondary active transport), 5) Endocytosis.

- Active transport: substances movement from lower conc.

region into higher conc. region, using ATP such as Na+/K+ pump.

- Passive diffusion: substances movement from higher conc.

region into lower conc. region, not need ATP.

- Facilitated diffusion: substances movement from higher conc.

region to lower conc. region, using a carrier protein in cell membrane.

- Secondary active transport: is a carrier protein that allows the transport of two different species
(a solute and an ion) from one side of the membrane to the other at the same time such as
sodium-glucose co-transporter(SGLT)

- Endocytosis: is process by which the cell membrane engulf materials, need the energy ATP.

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Large Intestine (LI)
Consist of;
Cecum, Colon (Ascending, Transversal, and Descending),
and Rectum.

Characteristics of the large intestine:

 The mucosa has no villi; the epithelial cells contain almost no digestive enzymes.
 Solitary lymph follicles are present in the cecum and appendix.
 They consist mainly of mucus cells that secrete mucus only.
 Secretions of the large Intestine (Mucus ; Water and Electrolytes secretions): Epithelial cells and
crypts secrete large quantities of mucus. The functions of the mucus in the large intestine, is
protect the wall against excoriation, the adherent medium for holding fecal material, bacterial
activity that takes place inside the feces.
 The principal functions of the colon are; The movements of the colon are normally very sluggish,
therefore the proximal half of the colon, is concerned principally with water and electrolytes
absorption, and the distal half with storage.