Name _______________________________ Hour____
Studyguide 2 on the Digestive System –
Small Intestine through Anus
1. What are the dimensions (length and width) of the small intestine?
2. In order, what are the 3 sections of the small intestine and how long is each section?
3. Which (one) of these 3 sections receives the secretions from the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas?
4. “Parasympathetic and sympathetic messages are relayed through mesenteric plexus.” What is the
mesenteric plexus?
5. What 3 types of structures increase the surface area in the small intestine?
6. Why is it to an organism’s benefit to increase the surface area of the small intestine? (Plant roots have
root hairs for this same reason.)
7.
Plicae
and rugae
appear very similar. Besides their locations,
what is another major difference between
them?
8. What is at the core of each villus?
9. Study this picture carefully. Then label the plicae, villi, and microvilli. You may use a textbook or
internet for help if needed.
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10. What do the columnar cells with the brush border do?
11. Enterokinase is a brush border enzyme that activates trypsin, an enzyme that is similar to pepsin in the
stomach. Why does this enzyme need to be activated at a later time?
12. What do the goblet cells do?
13. What do the enterocytes (enteroendocrine cells) do?
14. The Paneth cell is within an intestinal crypt. What does an intestinal crypt do?
15. What are the 2 movements in small intestine?
16. How does peristalsis within the small intestine compare with peristalsis in the stomach? Are they the
same?
17. How is segmentation different from peristalsis?
18. How does segmentation help us absorb more nutrients within the chyme?
19. (11 points) Label the drawing below with the following structures: stomach, pancreas, gallbladder,
right lobe of the liver, duodenum, pancreatic duct, right hepatic duct, left hepatic duct, common
hepatic duct, cystic duct, common bile duct
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20. The duodenum receives secretions through the Sphincter of Oddi from what 3 accessory organs?
21. What are the 4 lobes of the liver?
22. If a surgeon was to remove the quadrate lobe to transplant into another patient, where would she/he
look for this lobe?
23. What is the function of the gallbladder?
24. Bile is a greenish liquid what is released into the small intestine. What is the main function of bile?
25. Where is bile made?
26. Gall stones are sometimes formed in the gallbladder from bile that becomes too concentrated. If the
gallbladder is removed, what will happen to the bile when the person is not eating?
27. The liver has a number of functions including the production of bile. The microscopic working parts
of the liver are called lobules. How many lobules exist in an average-sized liver?
28. (7 points) Label the drawing below of an hepatic lobule found in the liver with the following
structures: hepatocytes, sinusoids, bile canaliculi, branch of the hepatic artery, branch of the portal
vein, bile duct, central vein (venule)
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29. Make a diagram listing the following structures and showing how the blood flows in and out of the
liver. Use arrows (  ) and the following terms but no pictures in your diagram: descending aorta,
hepatic artery, branch of the hepatic artery, hepatic portal vein, branch of the hepatic portal vein,
sinusoids, central vein (venule), branch of the hepatic vein, hepatic vein, inferior vena cava, heart
30. (2 points) Why does blood from a branch of the hepatic portal vein and a branch of the hepatic artery
BOTH dump into the sinusoids? (You need 2 answers here.)
31. What is the name of the cells within the lobule that makes the bile?
32. What are the 4 main components of bile?
33. In addition to making bile, what other 3 important functions does the liver have in regards to the food
we eat?
34. The liver also helps our circulatory system maintain healthy blood. Phagocytic Kupffer cells are
located within the sinusoids. What purpose do these cells serve?
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35. The Pancreas is another vital organ. There is an exocrine and an endocrine portion to the pancreas.
Using your textbook, determine how these two terms, exocrine and endocrine, differ.
36. The Acinar cells of the pancreas secrete the following enzymes to help break down which
macromolecules?
 trypsin, elastase, carboxypeptidase, and chymotrypsin  break down _______________
 lipases  break down _______________________
 nucleases  break down _____________________________ and simple sugars
 maltase, lactase, sucrase  break down _______________________________
37. What do the Duct cells of the pancreas secrete?
38. Why are the Duct cells important?
39. What do the Islets of Langerhans do?
40. The pancreas also secretes the hormones secretin and Cholecystokinin (CCK). Where / into what are
these hormones released?
41. Once the food has passed through the small intestine, it enters the large intestine. How do the
dimensions of the large intestine differ from the small intestine?
42. What are the main functions of the large intestine?
43. Using your notes or textbook, label the 6 sections of the large intestine?
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44. On which section would you find the appendix?
45. Which section is similar in function to the stomach?
46. What is the teniae coli?
47. What are haustra?
48. How do the internal and external anal sphincters differ?
49. What are hemorrhoids?
50. How long does it take for the large intestine to solidify the chyme that came from the small intestine?
51. What is haustral churning?
52. After a large meal, many people experience mass peristalsis. What is this?
53. Why are taking antibiotics actually upsetting for the colon?
54. When do we sense that we need to defecate?
55. What should happen (and hopefully does) if we cannot go to the bathroom right away?
56. What are the 6 components of feces?
57. Which of these components gives feces its characteristic brown color?
58. Which of these components gives feces its characteristic smell?
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Study the chart below and fill in the missing information about the following hormones that are activated
during digestion.
Hormone
Triggered by
Released from
Gastrin
Vagus nerve; food in
stomach, esp.
undigested proteins
G-cells within Gastric
glands and also the
duodenum
chyme entering
duodenum
duodenum
Stimulates pancreas to secrete buffers; slows
down digestion in stomach; increases
production of bile
chyme entering the
duodenum containing
lipids and partially
digested proteins
duodenum
Stimulates pancreas to digestive enzymes;
slows down digestion in stomach; causes gall
bladder and liver to release contents; reduces
feeling of hunger
chyme entering the
duodenum containing
many lipids and/or
glucose
duodenum
Gastric inhibitory
peptide (GIP)
Actions
Study the chart below and fill in the missing information about the following enzymes that are released
during digestion.
Enzyme
Released by
Optimal pH
Breaks down
Products
Salivary glands and
pancreas
6.7 – 7.5
complex carbs
disaccharides
trisaccharides
Small intestine
7-8
chief cells in stomach
1.5 – 2.0
proteins; polypeptides
short polypeptides
pancreas
7-8
proteins; polypeptides
dipeptides, tripeptides
7-8
dipeptides, tripeptides
amino acids
CARBOHYDRASES
Maltase, sucrase,
lactase
monosaccharides
PROTEASES
trypsin, chymotrypsin,
carboxypeptidase
peptidases
LIPASES
pancreatic lipase
pancreas
fatty acids and
monoglyderides
7-8
NUCLEASES
nucleases
7-8
nucleic acids
nitrogenous bases and
simple sugars