Functions: Receiving food, tasting and preparing food for digestion, aiding in speech
Cranial nerves related to the mouth and throat
V (trigeminal)
VII (facial)
IX (glossopharyngeal)
XII (hypoglossal)
Mouth(oral cavity)
First part of the digestive system that is formed by the lips, cheeks, hard and soft palates, uvula, and the tongue and its muscles
Mouth
Serves as an airway for the respiratory tract
Consists of the tongue, teeth, gums, and salivary glands
Palate
Roof of oral cavity, formed by the anterior hard palate and posterior soft palate, separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity, prevents food from passing into the nasal cavity during chewing and swallowing
Lips
Form the entrance to the mouth, serve as a protective gateway to the digestive and respiratory tract
Cheeks
Form the lateral walls of the mouth, located within buccinator muscles which flatten cheeks against teeth, important for mastication (chewing)
Tongue
Form the floor of the mouth, mass of muscle attached to the hyoid bone and styloid process, contains frenulum and papillae, carries sensory impulses to the brain via taste buds
Uvula
Extension of the soft palate, hangs in the posterior midline of the oropharynx
Mandible (jawbone)
Provides the structural support for the floor of the mouth
Gums (gingiva)
Covered by mucous membrane, normally holds 32 teeth in adults and 20 for babies
Teeth
Adults have 32 teeth, babies have 20, consist of crown, root, and neck
Salivaryglands
Produce saliva, a watery, serous fluid containing salts, mucus, and salivary amylase which helps break down food and lubricates it, include parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands
Throat (pharynx)
Located behind the mouth and nose, serves as passageway for food and air, includes nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx
Tonsils
Help protect against infection, include palatine tonsils, lingual tonsils, and pharyngeal tonsils (adenoids)
The abdomen is bordered superiorly by the costal margins, inferiorly by symphysis pubis and inguinal canals, and laterally by the flanks
Abdominal quadrants
Determined by an imaginary vertical line (midline) from the tip of the sternum (xiphoid) through the umbilicus to the symphysis pubis, bisected perpendicularly by the lateral line through the umbilicus
Abdominal quadrants
(RUQ)
(RLQ)
(LUQ)
(LLQ)
Abdominal regions
Epigastric
Umbilical
Hypogastric/suprapubic
Abdominalwall muscles
Protect the internal organs and allow normal compression during functional activities, consist of three layers: external abdominal oblique, internal abdominal oblique, transverse abdominis
Rectus abdominis
A vertical muscle of the anterior abdominal wall
Linea alba
White line at the midline of the abdomen formed from the joining of muscle fibers and aponeuroses, extends vertically from the xiphoid process to the symphysis pubis
Peritoneum
Parietal peritoneum lines the abdominal cavity, visceral peritoneum provides a protective covering for most of the internal abdominal organs
Hollow viscera (stomach, gallbladder, small intestine, colon, bladder)
Liver
Largest solid organ in the body, located below the diaphragm in the RUQ, composed of four lobes
Pancreas
Located mostly behind the stomach, deep in the upper abdomen, functions as an endocrine gland and accessory organ of digestion
Spleen
Approximately 7cm wide, located above the kidney just below the diaphragm, functions as a filter
Solid viscera
Organs that do not change shape depending on their contents
Solid viscera
Liver
Pancreas
Spleen
Kidneys
Ovaries
Liver
Largest solid organ in the body
Located below the diaphragm in the RUQ of the abdomen
Composed of four lobes that fill most of the RUQ and extend to the left midclavicular line (LMCL)
Pancreas
Located mostly behind the stomach, deep in the upper abdomen
Not palpable
Long gland extending across the abdomen from the RUQ to the LUQ
Functions as an endocrine gland and accessory organ of digestion
Spleen
Approximately 7cm wide
Located above the kidney just below the diaphragm at the level of the 9th, 10th, and 11th ribs
Posterior to the left midaxillary line (LMAL) and posterior and lateral to the stomach
Normally not palpable
Functions to filter the blood of cellular debris, digest microorganisms, and return the breakdown of products to the liver
Kidneys
Located high and deep under the diaphragm
Considered posterior organs and approximate with the level of T12 to L3 vertebrae
Kidney tenderness is best assessed at the costovertebral angle
Functions include filtration and elimination of metabolic waste products, play a role in blood pressure control and maintenance of water, salt, and electrolyte balances, and function as an endocrine gland by secreting hormones
Ovaries
Located in the RLQ and LLQ
Normally palpated through bimanual examination of the internal genitalia
Hollow viscera
Organs that change shape depending on their contents
Hollow viscera
Stomach
Gallbladder
Small intestine
Colon (large intestine)
Urinary bladder
Stomach
Where the abdominal cavity begins
Distensible, flask-like organ located in the LUQ below the diaphragm and between the liver and spleen
Not palpable
Functions to store, churn, and digest food
Gallbladder
Approximately 10cm long
Located near the posterior surface of the liver lateral to the MCL
Usually not palpated
Function is to concentrate and store the bile needed to digest fat