++
Chapter 7. Gastrointestinal Physiology
++
++
++
A healthy 28-year-old woman participated in a study of gastrointestinal function. She ingested a single nutritionally balanced meal containing small inert plastic beads, which could be visualized using medical imaging techniques. What is the most likely location of the beads 8 hours after ingestion of the meal?
++
++
++
A Arrested at lower esophageal sphincter
++
++
B Arrested at the pyloric sphincter
++
++
++
++
++
++
++
++
++
++
D. The microspheres travel with the meal and reflect the transit time of the meal. After 8 hours, the meal would typically progress to the distal small intestine. The beads are small enough not to be arrested by sphincters.
++
++
++
A 9-year-old boy awoke in the night complaining of abdominal pain that was dull and poorly localized. Which of the following pathways conveys these sensations of pain to consciousness?
++
++
++
++
++
B Sacral parasympathetic nerves
++
++
C Splanchnic sympathetic nerves
++
++
++
++
++
++
C. Most afferent nerves conveying pain in the gastrointestinal tract travel in the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system.
++
++
++
A 49-year-old university professor volunteered to be the subject in a clinical demonstration in which a pressure sensor was passed an unknown distance into his esophagus via the nasopharynx. At one moment, the sensor was located in a region of tonically high resting pressure. When he was asked to swallow, there was an immediate decrease in pressure, followed by a rapid increase in the pressure at this location. Where was the pressure sensor located?
++
++
++
A Upper esophageal sphincter
++
++
B Thoracic esophageal body
++
++
C Abdominal esophageal body
++
++
D Lower esophageal sphincter
++
++
++
++
A. High resting pressure indicates the sensor was located in a sphincter. The pattern of pressure changes upon swallowing describes the action of upper esophageal sphincter.
++
++
++
A 61-year-old man saw his physician with a complaint of progressive difficulty swallowing solid food. He reported a weight loss of about 18 kg (40 lb) despite trying to eat. He was frequently aspirating his food. The results ...