14.2 Introduction to the Gastrointestinal System

The gastrointestinal system (also called the GI system) is important to assess because it is responsible for nutrition, digestion, absorption, hydration, and defecation. You may also have heard it referred to as the digestive system. As a nurse, your assessment of the GI system provides information about how the system is functioning and potential cues that require action.

GI System Components

As per Figure 14.1, the main components of the GI system include:

  • The upper GI tract (oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, and the first part of the small intestine [i.e., the duodenum]).
  • The lower GI tract (small and large intestine, rectum, anus).
  • The accessory glands and organs (salivary glands, liver, pancreas, gallbladder) and lymphatic organs and tissue (tonsils, spleen, appendix).
Main components of the GI system.
Figure 14.1: Main components of the GI system. Image from: Betts, et al. Anatomy and Physiology, OpenStax, Section URL: https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology/pages/23-1-overview-of-the-digestive-system. Licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0.

You have already learned about the anatomy and physiology of the GI system; see Video 1 for a quick overview:

 

Video 1: Overview of the GI system.

Activity: Check Your Understanding

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Nursing Physical Assessment Copyright © 2024 by Barbara Gawron and Meenu James is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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