ASSIGNMENT 1

THE RESPIRATORY AND THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEMS

2014/2015

BY

CLARA PIRLITEANU

CLASS: HSS

Module: Anatomy and Physiology

Teacher: Helene Kamalandua

I certify that this assignment is all my own work

Signature_______________ Date______________

Ballsbridge College of Further Education

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 The differences between anatomy and physiology

Anatomy and physiology are closely related concepts that are often studied together. In a few words,
anatomy is a study of the physical structure of an organism, while physiology involves the study of the
functions of individual structures and systems within an organism, as well as the function of an organism
as a whole. An understanding of anatomy is critical to the study of physiology, and learning about
physiology is important to people who want to understand how anatomical structures work.

In this assignment I will explain how the digestive and respiratory system works from an anatomical and
physiological point of view. After this I will make a survey interviewing 2 different people about their
digestive and respiratory illnesses. Based on my knowledge accumulated from making this assignment
and bases on the responses given by the 2 people I will try to explain the illnesses. At the end I will
explain what I have learned by doing this assignment.

The questions I chose to ask in my survey were chosen to know as much as possible about the person’s
illness. I tried to put clear and simple questions that are easily understand by people. I wanted to know
about the symptoms, if there is a cure and about the medication. The persons I interviewed are two
friends: one suffers of Stomach ulcers and the other one of Tuberculosis.

The digestive system

The digestive system is a group of organs working together to convert food into energy and basic
nutrients to feed the entire body. Food passes through a long tube inside the body known as the
alimentary canal or the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract). In addition to the alimentary canal, there are
several important accessory organs that help your body to digest food but do not have food pass through
them. Accessory organs of the digestive system include the teeth, tongue, salivary glands, liver,
gallbladder, and pancreas.

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Digestive System Anatomy

 Mouth
In the oral cavity teeth chop food into small pieces, which are moistened by saliva before the tongue and
other muscles push the food into the pharynx.
 Pharynx
The pharynx is responsible for the passing of masses of chewed food from the mouth to the esophagus.
 Esophagus
Is a muscular tube connecting the pharynx to the stomach. It carries swallowed masses of chewed food
along its length.
 Stomach
This major organ acts as a storage tank for food so that the body has time to digest large meals properly.
 Small Intestine
The folds of the small intestine are used to maximize the digestion of food and absorption of nutrients. By
the time food leaves the small intestine, around 90% of all nutrients have been extracted from the food
that entered it.
 Liver and Gallbladder
The main function of the liver in digestion is the production of bile and its secretion into the small intestine.
The gallbladder is used to store and recycle excess bile from the small intestine.
 Pancreas
The pancreas secretes digestive enzymes into the small intestine to complete the chemical digestion of
foods.
 Large Intestine
The large intestine absorbs water and contains many symbiotic bacteria that aid in the breaking down of
wastes.

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Digestive System Physiology

The six primary processes of the digestive system include:

 Ingestion of food
 Secretion of fluids and digestive enzymes
 Mixing and Movement of food and waste through the body
 Digestion of food into smaller pieces
 Absorption of nutrients
 Excretion of waste

The digestive process

Digestive
Food Particles
Organ Movement Juices
Broken Down
Used
Mouth Chewing Saliva Starches
Esophagus Swallowing None None
Upper muscle in stomach relaxes to let food
Stomach
Stomach enter and lower muscle mixes food with Protein
acid
digestive juice
Small
Starches,
intestine
Small intestine Peristalsis protein, and
digestive
carbohydrates
juice
Pancreatic Starches, fats,
Pancreas None juice and
protein
Liver None Bile acids Fats

Explaining the respondent’s illness

The person I interviewed suffers from Peptic ulcer of the stomach. Stomach ulcers or gastric ulcers are
painful sores that develop in the stomach lining. They occur when the thick layer of mucus that protects
your stomach from digestive juices is reduced. The cause of stomach ulcers can be from an infection with
the bacteria Helicobacter pylori or by the long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines
(NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen.
The person I interviewed has a stomach ulcers caused probably by the long term use of NSAIDs. If he
had an infection with Helicobacter pylori then the treatment would have consisted in the use of 2 different
antibiotics such as metronidazole and clarithromycin. He is taking just Zantac that reduces the amount of
acid the stomach produces, Bisodol that is an antiacid and treat the pain and discomfort caused by the
acid, and Cytotec that is used in the management and prophylaxis of peptic ulcers associated with use of
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In most patients Cytotec will heal the ulcers in 4 weeks.
The pain is caused by the ulcer and is aggravated by stomach acid coming in contact with the ulcerated
area.

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 The respiratory system

The respiratory system provides oxygen to the body’s cells while removing carbon dioxide, a waste
product that can be lethal if allowed to accumulate. There are 3 major parts of the respiratory system: the
airway, the lungs, and the muscles of respiration.

Anatomy of the Respiratory System

 Nose and Nasal Cavity

The nose and nasal cavity form the main external opening for the respiratory system and are the first
section of the body’s airway. The function of the nasal cavity is to warm, moisturize, and filter air entering
the body.
 Mouth
The mouth, also known as the oral cavity, is the secondary external opening for the respiratory tract.
 Pharynx
The pharynx is a muscular funnel divided into 3 regions: the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and
laryngopharynx.
 The larynx
The larynx is a short section of the airway that contains special structures known as vocal folds, which
allow the body to produce the sounds of speech and singing.
 Trachea
The trachea is a 5-inch long tube and its main function is to provide a clear airway for air to enter and exit
the lungs.

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  Bronchi and Bronchioles
At the inferior end of the trachea, the airway splits into left and right branches known as the primary
bronchi. The left and right bronchi run into each lung before branching off into smaller secondary bronchi.
The secondary bronchi split into many smaller tertiary bronchi within each lobe. The tertiary bronchi split
into many smaller bronchioles that spread throughout the lungs.
 Lungs
The lungs are a pair of large, spongy organs found in the thorax lateral to the heart. Each lung is
surrounded by a pleural membrane that provides the lung with space to expand as well as a negative
pressure space relative to the body’s exterior. The negative pressure allows the lungs to passively fill with
air as they relax. The interior of the lungs is made up of spongy tissues containing many capillaries and
around 30 million tiny sacs known as alveoli.

Physiology of the respiratory system

The six primary processes of the respiratory system include:

 Pulmonary Ventilation
 External Respiration.
 Internal Respiration
 Transportation of Gases.
 Homeostatic Control of Respiration

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Explaining the respondent’s illness

The person I interviewed suffers from Tuberculosis (TB).

Tuberculosis is a chronic infection caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis . It usually affects
the lungs but can develop in any part of the body. TB is caused by a germ that is transmitted from person
to person by airborne droplets. Tuberculosis bacill that are inhaled reach the bronchial tubes and
penetrate the mocul membrane lining the bronchi. Then they find their way into tissues immediately
underneath and step a tiny focus of inflammation. The immediate response of the body to the first attack
of tubercle bacilli is dispatch of special body blood cells to the site of infection to surround and if possible
to destroy the invading germs in most of us this process takes places without our being aware of it.
The person I interviewed has an active Tuberculosis because it presents symptoms of coughing, chest
pain, fever, night sweats and chills. Most people who have TB germs in their body do not have an active
case of the disease. Tuberculosis can be treated with antibiotics taken on a long-term of 6-12 months.
For the illness he takes Isoniazid that is an anti-bacterial drug, Rifadin that is an antibiotic to treat and
prevent tuberculosis, Pyrazinamide to kill the bacteria and Ethambutol that is an antibiotic and works by
stopping the growth of bacteria.

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Conclusions

By doing this assignment I have learned:

 What is the difference between anatomy and physiology
 More things about the anatomy and physiology of the digestive system
 More things about the anatomy and the physiology of the respiratory system
 What is Peptic ulcers, what are the symptoms and how it can be treated
 What is Tuberculosis, how is transmitted, what are the symptoms and how it can be treated
 How to explain the illness of the person I interviewed based on the knowledge I have about the
digestive system and based on the responses of the survey
 How to explain the illness of the person interviewed based on the knowledge I have about the
respiratory system and based on the responses of the survey
 How to make a survey

I would modify the survey?

The answer is no. I consider that the questions I put are quite good to know about the person’s illness.

Bibliography

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-the-difference-between-anatomy-and-physiology.htm

http://anatomy11.tumblr.com/post/4089127519/the-difference-between-anatomy-and-physiology

http://www.innerbody.com/image/digeov.html

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/yrdd/

http://www.medicinenet.com/peptic_ulcer/page2.htm#what_are_the_causes_of_peptic_ulcers

http://www.innerbody.com/anatomy/respiratory#full-description

http://www.healthcentral.com/encyclopedia/408/123.html#encyc_description?ic=506019

https://www.scribd.com/doc/121749759/Tuberculosis

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 Survey

1. What illness are you suffering from?

2. What are your symptoms?

3. How does this affect your daily life?

4. Is there a cure?

5. Are you taking some medicine for this illness?

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 Survey 1: Person suffering from a digestive illness

Mr. Jack Stevens

1. What illness are you suffering from?

Stomach ulcers

2. What are your symptoms?

Usually my symptoms are:

 A burning pain in the stomach

 Vomiting

 Heartburn

 Bloating

3. How does this affect your daily life?

Sometimes the stomach pain is so big that it wakes me up at night and I can’t fall asleep a couple of
hours.

Very often I can’t do my job because I feel sick or I am vomiting.

4. Is there a cure?

Yes it is. It can be cured with the proper medication, changing the lifestyle eliminating the substances
that cause the ulcers like smoking and drinking and limiting dairy.

5. Are you taking some medicine for this illness?

Yes. I am taking:

 Zantac - 150mg twice daily

 Bisodol - 2 tablets when required

 Cytotec – 800mg daily divided in two doses

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 Survey 2. Person suffering from a respiratory illness

Mr. John Conolly

1. What illness are you suffering from?

Tuberculosis

2. What are your symptoms?

 Coughing
 Chest pain
 Fever
 Night Sweats
 Chills

3. How does this affect your daily life?

Usually the worst thing is the excessive coughing and chest pain. At night I wake up very often
because of the sweats and chills.

4. Is there a cure?

Yes it is. It can be cured with the appropriate antibiotics treatment taken 6 months or longer.

5. Are you taking some medication for this illness?

Yes. I am taking the following medication:

 Isoniazid 300mg once a day

 Rifadin 300mg twice a day
 Pyrazinamide one tablet once a day
 Ethambutol 400mg twice a day

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