Abstract
Swallowing, digestion and absorption take place through the digestive or alimentary tube, a 7- to 10-meter hollow muscular conduit. The digestive process converts food material into a soluble form easy to absorb by the small intestine. The elimination of insoluble residues and other materials is the function of the large intestine. Histologically, the digestive tube consists of four major layers: (1) an inner mucosal layer encircling the lumen, (2) a submucosal layer, (3) a muscularis externa layer and (4) a serosal/adventitial layer. The inner mucosal layer shows significant variations along the digestive tube. It is subdivided into three components: (1) an epithelial layer, (2) a connective tissue lamina propria and (3) a smooth muscle muscularis mucosae. This chapter focuses on the histologic features of the oral cavity, the esophagus and the stomach with a particular emphasis on the mechanisms that affect the function of these specific segments of the alimentary system.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
