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Example Questions
Example Question #11 : Gastrointestinal Physiology
The most superior part of the stomach is the __________.
fundus
body
pyloric antrum
rugae
fundus
The areas of the stomach, from superior to inferior, are the fundus, the body, and the pyloric antrum. The rugae are folds in the stomach that increase its surface area and expandability.
Example Question #312 : Nclex
What ligament attaches the liver to the abdominal wall?
The falciform ligament
Ligamentum flava
The splenorenal ligament
The ligament of Treitz
The falciform ligament
The ligament of Treitz suspends the duodenum, while the splenorenal ligament goes between the left kidney and the spleen. Ligamentum flava are ligaments present in the spinal cord.
Example Question #316 : Nclex
Which of the following digestive enzymes breaks down starches?
Amylase
Protease
Lipase
Peptidase
Amylase
Amylase enzymes, produced by the salivary gland and the pancreas, break starched down into simple sugars. Peptidase and protease enzymes break down proteins, while lipase enzymes break down lipids.
Example Question #12 : Gastrointestinal Physiology
Which of the following substances helps emulsify fats during digestion?
Bile acids
Hydrochloric acid
Cholecystokinin
Pancreatic lipase
Bile acids
Bile acids, produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder, help emulsify fats during digestion. The process of emulsification makes fats collect into small droplets, increasing the surface area of ingested lipids and increasing the ability of pancreatic lipase to break fats down into fatty acids and glycerol. Hydrochloric acid aids in the breakdown of proteins in the stomach, and cholecystokinin is a hormone with a wide variety of functions in the digestive process, including the stimulation of the release of bile (though it does itself not play a role in emulsification of fats).
Example Question #318 : Nclex
Which of the following would be a normal gastric pH?
2.0
1.2
4.8
4.0
2.0
Normal gastric pH ranges from 1.5 to 3.5. This highly acidic environment aids the stomach in denaturing proteins, a fundamental part of digestion.
Example Question #13 : General Biology
Where does lipid digestion begin?
The duodenum
The stomach
The jejunum
The ileum
The duodenum
While a small amount of fat digestion may occur in the mouth via the action of lingual lipase, the majority of lipid digestions begins in the duodenum. The presence of fat in the small intestine triggers release of pancreatic lipase, which enters the duodenum via the pancreatic duct. Fat digestion does not occur in the stomach.
Example Question #13 : Gastrointestinal Physiology
Which of the following structures controls the release of pancreatic enzymes and bile into the duodenum?
The ampulla of vater
The ileocecal valve
The sphincter of Oddi
The pyloric sphincter
The sphincter of Oddi
The pancreatic duct and common bile duct come together at the ampulla of vater, allowing for the combination of pancreatic enzymes and bile. This combination is released into the duodenum via the relaxation of the sphincter of Oddi, a muscular ring at the end of the ampulla. The sphincter of Oddi also prevents any back-flow of duodenal contents into the ampulla.
The pyloric sphincter controls flow of chyme between the stomach and the duodenum, while the ileocecal valve separates the small and large intestine.
Example Question #14 : Gastrointestinal Physiology
Lipids are transported out of the digestive tract via what system?
The circulatory system
The excretory stsyem
The lymphatic system
The hepatic system
The lymphatic system
Lipids are transported out of the digestive system via lacteals, lymphatic capillaries within the vilii of the small intestine that absorb fatty acids in the form of chylomicrons. They are then transported through the lymphatic system and re-enter the blood stream via the thoracic duct.
The hepatic system produces bile, a vital part of lipid digestion, but it does not absorb lipids. Nor does the excretory system, which is not really a single system but rather a collection of organ systems including the kidney, skin, liver, and colon.
Example Question #16 : General Biology
Where is gastrin produced?
Chief cells of the stomach
Beta-islet cells of the pancreas
Parietal cells of the stomach
G cells of the stomach
G cells of the stomach
Gastrin is produced by the G cells of the stomach. Parietal cells of the stomach secrete hydrochloric acid, while chief cells secrete pepsinogen and chymosin. Beta-islet cells of the pancreas produce glucagon.
Example Question #17 : General Biology
The hydrolysis of oligosaccharides into disaccharides occurs in what part of the digestive tract?
The duodenum
The ileum
The jejunum
The stomach
The duodenum
The hydrolysis of oligosaccharides into disaccharides occurs in the duodenum, after the addition of pancreatic amylase from the pancreatic duct.
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