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A. Digestive System Overview
Open the Atlas app. From the Views menu, go to Systems Views and scroll down to Digestive
System Views. Select 6. Alimentary Canal. Make the following observations.
You are responsible for all bold terms and diagram labels.
1. Zoom out so that the entire model is visible. The alimentary canal is a continuous tube that begins
at the mouth and ends at the anal canal. Rotate the model and zoom out as required to see the entire
length of the tube.
2. Deselect the skeletal system (the skull icon) in the systems menu to hide the pelvis and spine. Rotate
the alimentary canal to view it from all angles.
3. Use the image below to locate the main sections of the alimentary canal.
Mouth
Esophagus
Colon
Small Intestine
Stomach
Pharynx
Rectum
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B. Upper Digestive System
Go to the Views menu and select 1. Upper Digestive System from the set of digestive system views.
1. By rotating the model and selecting the large muscles attached to the mandible, locate the left and
right masseter and the left and right temporalis. Select each muscle and read the definition (book
icon) to learn more.
2. What are the origins and insertions for the masseter and the temporalis?
Right temporalis muscle
Right masseter muscle
Mandible
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Go to the Views menu and select Muscle Actions. View Mandible elevation, Mandible retraction, and
Mandible protraction.
3. What are the actions of the masseter and the temporalis?
Go to the Views menu and select 3. Salivary Glands from the set of digestive system views.
4. Locate the large parotid glands. Select then hide the mandible and locate the submandibular
and sublingual glands in the lower part of the head. How do these glands participate in digestion?
Gingiva
Teeth
Right sublingual gland
Tongue
Left submandibular gland
Left parotid gland
Oropharynx
Laryngopharynx
Esophagus
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5. Locate the teeth and the gingiva. What roles do these structures play in digestion?
6. Deselect the skeletal system, then rotate the model so that you can see and select the tongue. How
does the tongue participate in mechanical digestion?
7. Deselect the muscular system and hide the parotid glands by clicking on them and selecting “hide”.
Locate the oropharynx, the laryngopharynx, and the esophagus.
8. After being chewed, the mixture of food and salivary juices that is swallowed is called a
_______________________. Smooth muscles in the pharynx and the esophagus create waves of
_______________________ that carry the food mixture to the stomach.
TIME TO PRACTICE!
GO TO THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM QUIZZES AND TAKE QUIZ 6, UPPER TRACT.
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C. Lower Digestive System Overview
Go to the Views menu and select 2. Lower Digestive System from the set of digestive system views.
Rotate the model to see how the digestive system fills most of the space in the abdominal cavity.
1. Deselect the skeletal system and locate the junction of the esophagus and the stomach. Locate the
cardiac sphincter. When does the cardiac sphincter open?
2. Using an anterior view locate the greater omentum. What tissues make up the greater omentum
and what is its function?.
Esophagus
Cardiac sphincter
Stomach
Greater omentum
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3. Hide the greater omentum and locate the following parts of the alimentary canal:
a. Stomach
b. Small intestine
c. Large intestine (colon)
d. Rectum
e. Anus
Large intestine (colon)
Esophagus
Stomach
Small intestine
Rectum
Anus
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Gallbladder
Liver
Pancreas
Lesser curvature
Pyloric sphincter
Serosa
Longitudinal muscle layer
Circular muscle layer
Oblique muscle layer
Mucosa
Greater curvature
4. Rotate the model so that you can locate the following accessory organs: liver, pancreas, and gall
bladder. Fade portions of the liver as necessary in order to see the entire gall bladder.
5. Use the Multi-Select tool to select all the anterior lobes of the liver and then hide them in order to
have a good view of the stomach.
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D. Stomach
Go to the Views menu and select 7. Stomach Vasculature from the digestive system set of views.
Deselect the circulatory system.
1. In this view you can see the layers of the stomach. Starting with the outermost layer, find the
following structures:
a. Serosa
b. Longitudinal muscle layer
c. Circular muscle layer
d. Oblique muscle layer
e. Mucosa
2. The stomach is the only part of the alimentary canal with three muscular layers. Why does the
stomach need three layers of muscle?
3. The mucosa secretes ________________________________________ that chemically digests food. After food
is mixed with these secretions it is called ________________________________________.
4. Locate the pyloric sphincter and the junction of the stomach and the small intestine. When does
this sphincter open?
5. The curved shape of the stomach presents a lesser curvature and a greater curvature. Locate
these two surfaces on the stomach.
TIME TO PRACTICE!
GO TO THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM QUIZZES AND TAKE QUIZ 7, STOMACH.
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E. Intestines
Go to the Views menu and select 2. Lower Digestive System from the digestive system set of views.
Deselect the skeletal system and hide the greater omentum.
1. Rotate the model in order to locate the three sections of the small intestine: the duodenum, the
jejunum, and the ileum.
Duodenum
Ileum
Jejunum
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2. Rotate the model to an anterior view and select then hide the transverse colon. You should be able
to see the pyloric sphincter where the duodenum connects to the stomach. Select the section of the
duodenum labeled Duodenum, sectioned (front) and hide it. You will now see the five layers of the
duodenum (note they are not separately selectable). Starting with the outermost layer they are the:
a. Serosa
b. Longitudinal muscle layer
c. Circular muscle layer
d. Submucosa
e. Mucosa
3. Select the section of the duodenum labeled Duodenum, sectioned (back) and fade it. Locate the
places where the common bile duct and the pancreatic duct enter the duodenum.
Common bile duct
Mucosa
Submucosa
Serosa
Pancreatic duct
Longitudinal muscle layer
Circular muscle layer
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4. Which is the shortest section of the small intestine?
5. Which is the longest section of the small intestine?
6. Find the junction of the ileum and the large intestine. Fade the ileum and locate the ileocecal
sphincter. What is the function of this sphincter?
Transverse colon
Ascending colon
Cecum
Appendix
Taenia coli
Descending colon
Sigmoid colon
Rectum
Anal canal
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7. Select the ascending colon and use the Radius Blast button (small yellow and blue circle) to restore
the transverse colon to view. Rotate the model to find the following structures:
a. Cecum
b. Appendix
c. Ascending colon
d. Transverse colon
e. Descending colon
f. Sigmoid colon
g. Rectum
h. Anal canal
8. Bands of smooth muscle called taenia coli extend along the surface of the large intestine. What is
the function of the taenia coli?
9. The transverse colon is aligned with the greater _________________________ of the stomach.
10. Select the rectum and then select the skeletal system. Note how the rectum and anal canal pass
through the pelvis.
11. Select the anal canal and select the muscular system. Rotate the model to see the anal canal
passing through the muscular floor of the pelvis. Locate the external anal sphincter.
In the digestive system set of views select 12. Colon (M) and view the model from the side.
12. Note how the sigmoid colon and the rectum follow the curvature of the spinal column around the
bladder. Locate the internal anal sphincter at the junction of the rectum and the anal canal. Using
the toggle in the ribbon at the top, switch to the female model. Note how the sigmoid colon and the
rectum follow the outer curvature of the uterus and the vagina.
TIME TO PRACTICE!
GO TO THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM QUIZZES AND TAKE QUIZZES 12, 13, AND 14
INTESTINAL TRACT, SMALL INTESTINE, AND LARGE INTESTINE.
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F. Accessory Organs
In the digestive system set of views select 9. Accessory Organs.
1. Rotate the model so you can see the pancreas, the gall bladder, and the liver.
2. The liver has _____ lobes. The ___________ lobe is the biggest.
3. The left lobe is separated from the rest of the liver by the ___________________ _________________________.
4. The left posterolateral segment of the liver has a(n) ______________________________________________ to
accommodate the ___________________________.
5. Find the five ligaments that anchor the liver to the diaphragm and the abdomen. These ligaments are
the:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
6. Fade the lobes of the liver in order to see the right and left hepatic ducts. Locate the common
hepatic duct and the common bile duct.
7. Bile can be transferred to the gall bladder for storage via the _____________________________________
duct. Bile can be released from the gall bladder into the small intestine when the sphincter of ________
__________________________________________ is open.
8. Fade the head and the body of the pancreas to see where the pancreatic duct joins the common
bile duct. The common bile duct enters the small intestine at the main duodenal papilla.
9. Locate the head, body, and tail of the pancreas. Locate the main pancreatic duct and the
accessory pancreatic duct (of Santorini). The accessory pancreatic duct enters the duodenum at the
minor duodenal papilla.
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10. Pancreatic digestive secretions include:
a. ________________________ to buffer acidic gastric juices.
b. ________________________ to dilute acidic gastric juices.
c. ________________________ to continue chemical digestion in the small intestine.
TIME TO PRACTICE!
GO TO THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM QUIZZES AND TAKE QUIZ 1, 9, AND 10
OVERVIEW, DIGESTIVE, PANCREAS, AND GALL BLADDER.
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G. Head Cross Section
In the Views menu, scroll over to Cross Sections. Scroll down to the Head (Sagittal) sections and
select 1. Head (Midsagittal). Identify the following structures:
1. Orbicularis (lips)
2. Tongue
3. Hard palate
4. Soft palate
5. Oral cavity
6. Laryngopharynx
7. Select any tooth
H. Thorax Cross Section
Go back to the Cross Sections menu and find the Thorax sections. Select 2. Thorax (T03-T04). The
view displays an inferior view. Identify the following structures:
1. Right and left lungs
2. Right and left brachiocephalic veins
3. Aortic arch
4. Trachea
5. Esophagus
6. T04 vertebra
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I. Abdominal Cross Section
Go back to the Cross Sections menu and find the Abdomen sections. Select 2. Abdomen (T12-L01).
The view displays an inferior view. Identify the following structures:
1. Peritoneum
2. Three liver segments (medial segment, anteromedial segment, and right anterolateral segment)
3. Gall bladder
4. Right and left kidneys
5. Lesser omentum
6. L01 Vertebra
7. Stomach
8. Pancreas (body and tail)
9. Descending aorta
10. Inferior vena cava
11. Spleen
Select the right-hand arrow in the title box to go to the next abdominal section (L01-L02). Identify
the following structures:
1. Peritoneum
2. Stomach
3. Transverse colon (both parts, on either side of the stomach)
4. Spleen
5. Right and left kidneys
6. Duodenum
7. Inferior vena cava
8. Descending aorta
9. L01 vertebra
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Select the right-hand arrow in the title box to go to the next abdominal section (L02-L03). Identify
the following structures:
1. Peritoneum
2. Greater omentum
3. Ileum
4. Jejunum
5. Ascending colon
6. Descending colon
7. Right and left kidneys
8. Inferior vena cava
9. Descending aorta
10. L03 vertebra
J. Pelvis Cross Section.
Go back to the Cross Sections menu and find the Pelvis sections. Select 2. Pelvis (Coccyx) (M).
Identify the following structures:
1. Peritoneum
2. Bladder
3. Rectum
4. Coccyx
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Source: Digestive System Views: View 6. Alimentary Canal
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Source: Digestive System Views: View 1. Upper Digestive System
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Source: Digestive System Views: View 3. Salivary Glands
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Source: Digestive System Views: View 2. Lower Digestive System
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Source: Digestive System Views: View 2. Lower Digestive System
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Source: Digestive System Views: View 2. Lower Digestive System
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Source: Digestive System Views: View 2. Lower Digestive System
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Source: Digestive System Views: View 2. Lower Digestive System
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Source: Digestive System Views: View 2. Lower Digestive System