| 1. aboral: | away from the mouth |
| 2. afferent: | carrying impulses toward a center (synapse/CNS) |
| 3. agonist: | drug or muscle that elicits a positive response (e.g., contraction) |
| 4. antagonist: | drug or muscle that counteracts another |
| 5.aptyalism: | absence or deficiency of saliva |
| 6. APUD: | Amine Precursor Uptake and Decarboxylation — group of cells that includes those that secrete the gut hormones. |
| 7. cathartic: | type of laxative |
| 8. cell bundles: | groups of smooth muscle cells that communicate thru a functional syncytium |
| 9. conditioned reflexes: | reflexes that are learned through experiences or taught |
| 10. continence: | the ability to retain urine and/or faeces until a proper time for their discharge |
| 11.CRTZ (or CTZ): | Chemoreceptor Trigger Zone |
| 12. desquamated: | falling/pushing/peeling off — e.g., cells from the tip of villi |
| 13. efferent: | moving or carrying outward or away from a central part. |
| 14. endogenous: | originating from within an animal. |
| 15. endopeptidase: | An enzyme that cleaves peptide bonds at positions within the chain. |
| 16. in vitro: | exogenous: originating from outside an animal. |
| 17. exopeptidase: | An enzyme that cleaves peptide bonds at the ends of the chain |
| 18. extrinsic: | attached partly to an organ but originating in or going to some other structure (e.g., CNS) |
| 19. GRP: | Gastrin-releasing peptide. The vagal neurotransmitter which stimulates gastrin release. Similar to bombesin. |
| 20. ileus (adynamic): | a functional "obstruction" of the intestine |
| 21. in situ: | tissue or organ in it’s natural setting (i.e., a body, probably anesthetized, may or may not be alive) but usually isolated from other organs |
| 22. in vitro: | tissue or organ in an artificial environment (e.g., a test tube) |
| 23. in vivo: | tissue or organ in a living body. |
| 24. intrinsic: | situated entirely within an organ |
| 25. intrinsic factor: | A mucoprotein normally secreted by the stomach and that binds vitamin B12. The intrinsic factor/B12 complex is then selectively absorbed by the distal ileum |
| 26. latch-state: | a state of cross-bridge formation (Å contraction on a molecular level) between actin & myosin which requires a minimum of energy to maintain. |
| 27. nexus: | point of low resistance membrane contact between two adjacent smooth muscle cells |
| 28. paracrine: | chemical messenger transmission where the transmitter diffuses a short distance; usually through interstitial fluid |
| 29. prehension: | the seizing and conveying of food to the mouth |
| 30. prokinetic | not only enhances motility, but also coordinates the activity between different segments of the gut. |
| 31. propagated: | impulse or contraction that initiates a like impulse or contraction "downstream" which continues to self-initiate for some distance. |
| 32. propulsion: | movement which displaces the contents (vs. motility which may or may not displace anything) |
| 33. cptyalin: | salivary amylase |
|
34. ptyalism: |
excessive secretion of saliva |
| 35. retrograde: | moving backward or against the usual direction of flow. |
| 36. slow waves: | propagated membrane depolarization the magnitude of which determines whether or not it is associated with contraction. |
| 37. spikes: | analogous to action potentials in skeletal muscle. The depolarizing portion of the spike is due to the inward flux of Ca++. |
| 38. TLI: | trypsin-like immunoreactivity. The absence of this in the blood is used to help diagnose exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. |
| 39. unconditioned reflexes: | reflexes that are "hard wired" by existing nerve pathways |