Question 1

Which of the following best describes the primary function of the small intestine?

Accepted Answer

Absorption of most nutrients and water

Question 2

Which layer of the alimentary canal is responsible for peristalsis and segmentation?

Accepted Answer

Muscularis externa

Question 3

A patient presents with pernicious anemia. Which of the following is most likely deficient in this patient?

Accepted Answer

Intrinsic factor

Question 4

Which of the following statements about bile salts is correct?

Accepted Answer

They emulsify fats to aid in absorption

Question 5

Which nerve plexus regulates glands and smooth muscle in the mucosa of the GI tract?

Accepted Answer

Submucosal nerve plexus

Question 6

Which of the following is the correct sequence of the layers of the GI tract from innermost to outermost?

Accepted Answer

Mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa, serosa

Question 7

Which hormone stimulates the gallbladder to contract and release bile into the duodenum?

Accepted Answer

Cholecystokinin (CCK)

Question 8

A drug that blocks H2 (histamine) receptors in the stomach would most likely result in which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Decreased secretion of hydrochloric acid

Question 9

Which of the following best explains why carbohydrate-rich chyme moves more quickly through the duodenum than fatty chyme?

Accepted Answer

Fatty chyme triggers enterogastric reflexes that slow gastric emptying

Question 10

Which of the following is a function of the large intestine?

Accepted Answer

Reclamation of water and electrolytes

Question 11

Which of the following enzymes is responsible for the activation of trypsinogen to trypsin in the small intestine?

Accepted Answer

Enteropeptidase (brush border enzyme)

Question 12

A patient with a damaged ileum is most likely to have difficulty absorbing which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Bile salts and vitamin B12

Question 13

Which of the following best describes the role of the hepatic portal vein?

Accepted Answer

It drains nutrient-rich blood from digestive organs to the liver

Question 14

Which of the following is true regarding the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins?

Accepted Answer

They require micelles for absorption into enterocytes

Question 15

Which of the following best explains the alkaline tide that occurs after a meal?

Accepted Answer

HCO$$_3^- is $$exported into the blood as H$$^+ is $$pumped into the stomach lumen

Question 16

Which of the following is a correct pairing of digestive enzyme and its substrate?

Accepted Answer

Pepsin – proteins

Question 17

Which of the following is a consequence of a loss of the mucosal barrier in the stomach?

Accepted Answer

Development of peptic ulcers

Question 18

Which of the following best describes the process of segmentation in the small intestine?

Accepted Answer

Mixes chyme with digestive juices and increases contact with mucosa

Question 19

Which of the following is the main function of the brush border enzymes in the small intestine?

Accepted Answer

Complete the digestion of carbohydrates and proteins

Question 20

A patient with celiac disease has damage to the villi and brush border of the small intestine. Which of the following is a likely consequence?

Accepted Answer

Malabsorption of nutrients

The Digestive System: Structure, Function, and Processes

Study Guide - Practice Questions