GNM 1st Year | Anatomy & Physiology
Important examination questions and answers on the digestive system, covering the alimentary canal, digestive organs, digestion, absorption and digestive glands.
Important Questions & Answers on Digestive System
The digestive system is an important topic in GNM 1st Year Anatomy and Physiology. The questions below are arranged according to common nursing examination patterns to help students prepare structured answers and revise the chapter efficiently.
Long Answer Questions – 10 Marks
1. Define the digestive system. Describe its main parts and functions.
Answer:
The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract and associated digestive organs. It is responsible for receiving food, breaking it down mechanically and chemically, absorbing nutrients and water, and eliminating undigested material.
Main parts of the alimentary canal:
- Mouth and oral cavity
- Pharynx
- Oesophagus
- Stomach
- Small intestine
- Large intestine
- Rectum
- Anus
Accessory digestive organs:
- Salivary glands
- Liver
- Gallbladder
- Pancreas
Major functions:
- Ingestion of food.
- Mechanical and chemical digestion.
- Movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract.
- Absorption of nutrients, water and electrolytes.
- Elimination of undigested material.
2. Describe the structure and functions of the stomach.
Answer:
The stomach is a muscular organ located in the upper part of the abdomen. It receives food from the oesophagus and temporarily stores and mixes it with gastric secretions.
Functions of the stomach:
- Temporary storage of food.
- Mechanical mixing of food.
- Secretion of gastric juice.
- Initiation of significant protein digestion.
- Formation of chyme.
- Regulation of the release of gastric contents into the small intestine.
Gastric juice contains hydrochloric acid, digestive enzymes and mucus. Hydrochloric acid provides an acidic environment for pepsin activity, while mucus helps protect the stomach lining.
3. Describe the small intestine and explain its functions.
Answer:
The small intestine is the main site of digestion and nutrient absorption. It extends from the stomach to the large intestine and is divided into three parts:
- Duodenum
- Jejunum
- Ileum
Functions:
- Receives chyme from the stomach.
- Receives bile and pancreatic secretions.
- Completes much of chemical digestion.
- Absorbs nutrients.
- Moves intestinal contents toward the large intestine.
The inner surface contains numerous villi that increase the surface area available for absorption. Blood capillaries within the villi absorb many water-soluble nutrients, while lacteals help transport many products of fat digestion through the lymphatic system.
4. Describe the liver, its functions and the role of bile in digestion.
Answer:
The liver is the largest internal gland and is located mainly in the upper right part of the abdomen.
Major functions of the liver:
- Produces bile.
- Processes absorbed nutrients.
- Stores glycogen and certain vitamins and minerals.
- Participates in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism.
- Helps process and detoxify various substances.
- Synthesizes important plasma proteins.
Bile: Bile is produced by the liver and stored and concentrated in the gallbladder. It is released into the small intestine and helps emulsify dietary fats, making them easier for digestive enzymes to act upon.
Bile does not contain digestive enzymes.
5. Describe the pancreas and explain its role in digestion.
Answer:
The pancreas is located behind the stomach and has both exocrine and endocrine functions.
Exocrine function:
The exocrine pancreas produces digestive enzymes and bicarbonate-rich fluid, which are released into the duodenum. Pancreatic secretions contribute to the digestion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
Endocrine function:
The endocrine pancreas produces hormones such as insulin and glucagon, which help regulate blood glucose levels.
6. Explain the process of digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
Answer:
Carbohydrates: Digestion begins in the mouth with salivary amylase and continues mainly in the small intestine. The final products are mainly simple sugars such as glucose, which are absorbed through the intestinal lining.
Proteins: Protein digestion begins mainly in the stomach with pepsin and continues in the small intestine through pancreatic and intestinal enzymes. The resulting amino acids and small peptides are absorbed through the intestinal lining.
Fats: Fat digestion occurs mainly in the small intestine. Bile helps emulsify fats, while pancreatic lipase breaks them down into smaller molecules. Many products of fat digestion are initially absorbed through intestinal lymphatic lacteals.
Short Answer Questions – 5 Marks
1. Write a short note on the oral cavity.
Answer: The oral cavity is the beginning of the digestive tract. It receives food, allows chewing, mixes food with saliva and helps form the bolus for swallowing. Digestion of starch begins in the mouth through salivary amylase.
2. What are the major salivary glands?
Answer: The three major salivary glands are the parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands. They produce saliva, which moistens food, assists swallowing and begins carbohydrate digestion.
3. What is peristalsis?
Answer: Peristalsis is a series of coordinated muscular contractions that propels food and other contents forward through the gastrointestinal tract.
4. What is the function of the oesophagus?
Answer: The oesophagus is a muscular tube connecting the pharynx to the stomach. It transports swallowed food toward the stomach mainly through peristaltic contractions.
5. Name the three parts of the small intestine.
Answer: The three parts are the duodenum, jejunum and ileum.
6. What are intestinal villi?
Answer: Villi are small finger-like projections on the inner surface of the small intestine. They increase the surface area available for absorption and contain blood capillaries and lymphatic lacteals.
7. Write a short note on the large intestine.
Answer: The large intestine includes the caecum, colon and rectum. It absorbs water and electrolytes, helps form and store faeces, and moves faecal material toward the anus.
8. What is the function of the gallbladder?
Answer: The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile produced by the liver and releases it into the small intestine when required.
9. What is chyme?
Answer: Chyme is the semi-fluid mixture formed when food is mechanically mixed with gastric secretions in the stomach.
10. What is the role of bile in digestion?
Answer: Bile helps emulsify dietary fats in the small intestine. This increases the surface area available for the action of digestive enzymes. Bile itself does not contain digestive enzymes.
11. Write a short note on the pancreas.
Answer: The pancreas has both exocrine and endocrine functions. Its exocrine part produces digestive enzymes and bicarbonate-rich fluid, while its endocrine part produces hormones such as insulin and glucagon.
12. What is absorption?
Answer: Absorption is the movement of digested nutrients, water and electrolytes from the gastrointestinal tract into the blood or lymph. The small intestine is the principal site of nutrient absorption.
Very Short Answer Questions
- Name the main parts of the alimentary canal.
- Name the three parts of the small intestine.
- Name the three major salivary glands.
- What is the main site of nutrient absorption?
- What is peristalsis?
- What is chyme?
- Which organ produces bile?
- Which organ stores and concentrates bile?
- What are villi?
- What are lacteals?
- Name the four types of teeth.
- What is the main function of the large intestine?
- What enzyme begins starch digestion in the mouth?
- Which enzyme begins significant protein digestion in the stomach?
- What is the terminal opening of the digestive tract called?
Diagram-Based Questions
Students should practise drawing and labelling the following diagrams:
- Human digestive system.
- Stomach and its major parts.
- Small intestine showing villi.
- Liver, gallbladder and pancreas.
- Alimentary canal from mouth to anus.
Important Questions to Prepare First
If you have limited time before the examination, revise these questions first:
- Define the digestive system and explain its main parts and functions.
- Describe the structure and functions of the stomach.
- Describe the small intestine and explain its functions.
- Describe the liver and explain the role of bile in digestion.
- Describe the pancreas and its role in digestion.
- Explain digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
- Write a short note on intestinal villi.
- Explain peristalsis and its importance in digestion.
Exam Writing Tips
- Begin long answers with a clear definition.
- For organs, use separate headings for structure and functions.
- Draw a labelled diagram when appropriate.
- For digestion questions, explain carbohydrates, proteins and fats separately.
- For questions on the liver and gallbladder, clearly distinguish bile production from bile storage.
- For 5-mark questions, use concise points rather than unnecessary detail.
- Use correct anatomical terms and underline important terms in the examination.
Quick Revision
- Alimentary canal: Mouth → pharynx → oesophagus → stomach → small intestine → large intestine → rectum → anus.
- Small intestine: Duodenum, jejunum and ileum.
- Main site of nutrient absorption: Small intestine.
- Liver: Produces bile.
- Gallbladder: Stores and concentrates bile.
- Pancreas: Produces digestive enzymes and important hormones.
- Villi: Increase the absorptive surface of the small intestine.
- Lacteals: Help absorb many products of fat digestion.
- Peristalsis: Moves gastrointestinal contents forward.
Related Study Resources
For a complete understanding of the chapter, read the Digestive System theory notes for GNM 1st Year.
After revising these questions, practise the Digestive System MCQs for GNM 1st Year.