gastrointestinal tract

(noun)

This tract consists of the stomach and intestine, and sometimes includes all the structures from the mouth to the anus. The digestive system is a broader term that includes other structures, including the accessory organs of digestion, such as the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.

Related Terms

Examples of gastrointestinal tract in the following topics:

  • Anatomy of the Digestive System

    • The human gastrointestinal tract refers to the stomach and intestine, and sometimes to all the structures from the mouth to the anus.
    • The human gastrointestinal tract refers to the stomach and intestine, and sometimes to all the structures from the mouth to the anus.
    • The upper gastrointestinal tract consists of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum.
    • The lower gastrointestinal tract includes most of the small intestine and all of the large intestine.
    • This image shows the position of the small intestine in the gastrointestinal tract.

  • Development of Metabolism

    • The gut or gastrointestinal tract is an endoderm-derived structure.

  • Organs of the Digestive System

    • Throughout our gastrointestinal (GI) tract, each organ serves a specific purpose to bring our food from the plate to a digestible substance from which nutrients can be extracted.
    • The major organs within our digestive system can be split into two major segments of this tube: the upper gastrointestinal tract, and the lower gastrointestinal tract.
    • The upper gastrointestinal, or GI, tract is made up of three main parts:
    • The exact dividing line between upper and lower tracts can vary, depending on which medical specialist is examining the GI tract.
    • The bolus gets swallowed, and begins its journey through the upper gastrointestinal tract.

  • X-Ray Studies of the GI Tract

    • Upper GI series, also upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract radiography, is a radiologic examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract.
    • Upper GI series, also known as upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract radiography, is a radiologic examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract .
    • The upper GI tract consists of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum.
    • Describe the process and purpose of taking X-rays of the GI tract

  • Absorptive State

    • When the gastrointestinal tract is full, anabolism exceeds catabolism; this is the absorptive state.
    • Absorptive state is the period in which the gastrointestinal tract is full and the anabolic processes exceed catabolism.

  • Hepatic Portal Circulation

    • The hepatic portal system is responsible for directing blood from parts of the gastrointestinal tract to the liver.
    • It is responsible for directing blood from the region of the gastrointestinal tract between the esophagus and rectum and also includes venous drainage from the supplementary organs such as the spleen and pancreas.

  • Mucosa

    • The mucosa, composed of simple epithelium cells, is the innermost layer of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
    • It is the absorptive and secretory layer of the GI tract.
    • The GI tract is composed of four layers.
    • The mucosae (singular: mucosa) are highly specialized in each organ of the gastrointestinal tract in order to deal with different digestive tract conditions.
    • Describe the structure and function of the mucosa of the GI tract

  • Occult Blood

    • Fecal occult blood (FOB) refers to not-visibly-apparent blood in the feces that may indicate problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
    • The purpose of fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) is to detect subtle blood loss in the gastrointestinal tract, anywhere from the mouth to the colon.
    • Positive tests ("positive stool") may result from either upper gastrointestinal bleeding or lower gastrointestinal bleeding and warrant further investigation for peptic ulcers or a malignancy (such as colorectal cancer or gastric cancer).
    • Gastrointestinal bleeding has many potential sources, and positive test results usually lead to further testing for the bleeding site, usually looking at possible lower gastrointestinal bleeding before looking at upper gastrointestinal bleeding causes, unless there are other clinical clues.
    • In the event of a positive fecal occult blood test, the next step in the workup is a form of visualization of the gastrointestinal tract by one of several means: sigmoidoscopy, an examination of the rectum and lower colon with a lighted instrument to look for abnormalities, such as polyps; colonoscopy, a more thorough examination of the rectum and entire colon; virtual colonoscopy; endoscopy refers to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy sometimes performed with chromoendoscopy; and double contrast barium enema: a series of X-rays of the colon and rectum.

  • Gastrointestinal Reflex Pathways

    • The digestive system functions via a system of long reflexes, short reflexes, and extrinsic reflexes from gastrointestinal (GI) peptides working together.
    • The gastrocolic reflex is the physiological reflex controlling the motility, or peristalsis, of the gastrointestinal tract.
    • The gastroileal reflex is a third type of gastrointestinal reflex.
    • They act on a variety of tissues including the brain, digestive accessory organs, and the GI tract.
    • The gastrocolic reflex is one of a number of physiological reflexes controlling the motility, or peristalsis, of the gastrointestinal tract.

  • Muscularis

    • The muscularis is responsible for the segmental contractions and peristaltic movements in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
    • The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is composed of four layers of tissue, known as tunics.
    • These muscles cause food to move and churn together with digestive enzymes down the GI tract.
    • The thickness of muscularis externa varies in each part of the tract.
    • Alone among the GI tract, the stomach has a third layer of muscularis externa.