The Digestive System
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69 chapter four THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM The digestive system is structurally divided into two main parts: a long, winding tube that carries food through its length, and a series of supportive organs outside of the tube. The long tube is called the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The GI tract extends from the mouth to the anus, and consists of the mouth, or oral cavity, the pharynx, the esophagus, the stomach, the small intestine, and the large intes- tine. It is here that the functions of mechanical digestion, chemical digestion, absorption of nutrients and water, and release of solid waste material take place. The supportive organs that lie outside the GI tract are known as accessory organs, and include the teeth, salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. Because most organs of the digestive system lie within body cavities, you will perform a dissection procedure that exposes the cavities before you begin identifying individual organs. You will also observe the cavities and their associated membranes before proceeding with your study of the digestive system. EXPOSING THE BODY CAVITIES should feel like the wall of a stretched balloon. With your skinned cat on its dorsal side, examine the cutting lines shown in Figure 4.1 and plan 2. Extend the cut laterally in both direc- out your dissection. Note that the numbers tions, roughly 4 inches, still working with indicate the sequence of the cutting procedure. your scissors. Cut in a curved pattern as Palpate the long, bony sternum and the softer, shown in Figure 4.1, which follows the cartilaginous xiphoid process to find the ventral contour of the diaphragm. Make your midline. Then, follow these instructions: cut through all muscle layers and con- nective tissue, but be careful to avoid 1. Begin your #1 incision by inserting the cutting too deeply and damaging the point of your scissors through the muscle underlying organs. Find the diaphragm 1 layers about ⁄4-inch caudal to the tip of again, and withwww.eig.net a scalpel, carefully cut it the xiphoid process. Make the cut large from its attachmentsFigure 6.6 to the ventral body OUTERNET Publishing enough for your finger to poke through, wall. Allow the diaphragm to remain on then insert your finger into the body cav- top of the liver. ity to feel the space beneath the muscle layers. Your incision was very likely made 3. From your first incision, use your scis- just caudal to the diaphragm, an internal sors to cut in a longitudinal direction 1 muscular partition dividing the thoracic roughly ⁄4-inch to one side of the ventral and abdominopelvic cavities. Press your midline. While cutting, pull upward finger gently against the diaphragm; it (toward you) with the scissors to create 70 Chapter Four Midventral line 5 5 1 Diaphragm 2 2 3 4 4 4 4 4 © bluedoor, LLC Figure 4.1 – Cutting guide for exposing body cavities (the numbers correspond to the sequences in the text). www.eig.net Figure 4.1 OUTERNET Publishing The Digestive System 71 THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM Mediastinum Parietal pleura Thoracic cavity Pleural cavity Visceral pleura Pericardial cavity Parietal pericardium Visceral pericardium Diaphragm Abdominal cavity Parietal peritoneum Abdominopelvic cavity Pelvic cavity © bluedoor, LLC Figure 4.2 – Ventral body cavities. www.eig.net Figure 4.2 OUTERNET Publishing 72 Chapter Four a space between the body wall and the Thoracic Cavity visceral organs. If performed carefully, The thoracic cavity is the potential space located this technique will help prevent the scis- cranial to the diaphragm. It is lined by a moist sors from cutting into the organs. membrane called the parietal pleura. The pari- etal pleura continues inward to cover both lungs, 4. Extend your cut down one side of the forming the visceral pleura. Between the two ventral midline caudally at first, but pleural membranes is a moist space called the stop when you feel the resistance of a pleural cavity. The thoracic cavity also includes membrane near the urinary bladder. the pericardial cavity along its midline, which 1 Then cut laterally about ⁄2 inch, then contains the heart. The pericardial cavity is sand- 1 caudally another ⁄2 inch, then continue wiched between two layers of the pericardium, the horizontal cut to the iliac crest which includes an outer parietal pericardium (see Figure 4.1). These cuts will enable (or pericardial sac) and an inner visceral pericar- you to cut around the genital region dium. In addition, the potential space located without damaging it. cranial to the heart is known as the mediastinum, which contains the major vessels of the heart and 5. Now you are ready to expose the thoracic the thymus gland. cavity. Extend your midventral incision toward the neck region from the #1 inci- Abdominopelvic Cavity sion near the xiphoid process, and cut The abdominopelvic cavity is the large cavity in a cranial direction. As you reach the located caudal to the diaphragm. It is lined by neck region, you will have to proceed a membrane attached to the inner body wall very slowly to avoid damaging the arter- called the parietal peritoneum. The parietal ies (colored red with latex), veins (col- peritoneum extends inward to wrap around ored blue with latex), and nerves (white). many of the organs of the abdominoplevic cav- Cut only muscle tissue to expose the ity. The part of the peritoneum covering most organs lying deep in the neck, including of the visceral organs is known as the visceral the trachea, thyroid gland, and larynx. peritoneum. The cavity between the two peri- toneal membranes is called the peritoneal cavity, 6. With your cutting complete, reflect the and contains a small amount of fluid that helps thoracic and abdominal walls to reveal reduce friction between adjacent visceral organs. the internal cavities. You will have to The peritoneum also includes numerous exten- fracture ribs to reflect the thoracic wall, sions, or folds, which will be described later in so press the walls laterally until you hear this chapter. The abdominopelvic cavity contains the snapping sound. Since the fractured many visceral organs, including the stomach, ends of the ribs can be sharp, take care to small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, avoid cutting yourself. gallbladder, internal reproductive organs, and more. Its larger cranial portion is the abdominal VENTRAL BODY CAVITIES AND cavity, which extends from the diaphragm to the level of the iliac crest. The smaller caudal area is MEMBRANES the bowl-shaped pelvic cavity. Now that you’ve exposed the ventral body cavi- ties and their associated membranes, identify CRANIAL DIGESTIVE STRUCTURES them from the descriptions that follow (Figure 4.2). The ventral body cavity is also known as the The organs and associated structures of the diges- coelom, or coelomic cavity. tive system will be described sequentially from the salivary glands around the mouth to the anus. The system has been divided into a cranial por- The Digestive System 73 Masseter Parotid duct THE DIGESTIVE Parotid gland SYSTEM Mandibular gland Sublingual gland © bluedoor, LLC Figure 4.3 – Salivary glands (lateral view of the head and neck). tion and a caudal portion, with the diaphragm PAROTID GLANDS: the largest of the sali- serving as the line of division between the two. vary glands, they are paired structures The cranial digestive structures include the sali- located superficial to the masseter muscle vary glands, oral cavity, pharynx, and esophagus. on each side of the head just below the ear Locate each structure in your cat and identify its (Figure 4.3). Emerging from its rostral sur- characteristic features. face is the parotid duct, which crosses over the masseter muscle before entering the ves- Salivary Glands tibule (space between the teeth and the lip). To expose the salivary glands, carefully remove It opens opposite to the third upper premolar any connective tissue and fat that remains on the tooth. lateral side of the head and neck, especiallywww.eig.net on the MANDIBULAR GLANDS: paired glands, each surface of the masseter muscle. Be very carefulFigure 4.3 to located immediately ventral to the parotid OUTERNET Publishing avoid damaging blood vessels, nerves, and small gland and posterior to the angle of the man- tubes that you see as you clean. dible (Figure 4.3). The duct emerges from The salivary glands are located in the head the anterior edge of each gland, then extends region surrounding the oral cavity. They are soft, laterally beneath the digastric muscle to enter lobular structures that connect to the oral cavity the floor of the oral cavity just anterior to the by way of a duct. Salivary glands are exocrine lingual frenulum (beneath the tongue). glands that secrete a watery fluid, saliva, into SUBLINGUAL GLANDS: small, paired glands ducts that carry it into the oral cavity when food located at the anterior end of each mandibu- is present. The cat has three major salivary glands lar gland. The sublingual duct extends paral- and two minor glands. lel to the submandibular duct, although it is smaller and difficult to observe. 74 Chapter Four MOLAR GLANDS: a minor pair of salivary the jaw on one side of your cat. Using bone glands in the cat, each located at the angle shears, cut the condyloid portion of the mandible of the jaw immediately deep to the skin (not on the same side. Pry the mouth open, and shown). Several small, inconspicuous ducts locate the following structures of the oral cavity open at the inner surface of the cheeks. (Figure 4.4). ZYGOMATIC GLANDS: a minor pair of sali- vary glands, each located in the floor of the VESTIBULE: the part of the oral cavity located eye orbit (not shown).