Structure
- Regional specialization allows different gastrointestinal epithelial cells to focus on secretion, absorption, protection, or signaling.
- Muscularis mucosa contraction changes the shape and surface area of the mucosa, helping regulate contact with luminal contents.
- Circular smooth muscle narrows the gastrointestinal lumen when it contracts.
- Longitudinal smooth muscle shortens a gastrointestinal segment when it contracts.
- The lumen is the hollow inside of the gastrointestinal tract, and the mucosa is the lining that faces that lumen for secretion, absorption, and protection.
- The enteric nervous system consists mainly of the submucosal (Meissner) and myenteric (Auerbach) plexuses.
- The myenteric plexus coordinates gastrointestinal movement.
- The submucosal plexus coordinates secretion, local blood flow, and sensory information.
Use Hide Bold Terms to cover authored terms, or Hide Every Word to cover every word in the block. Show One reveals the next hidden term or word in reading order without expanding the whole block. In Hide Main, hover a visible term to preview the full bullet.