The contents of the stomach are highly acidic during the digestion of a meal, wh

Question

The contents of the stomach are highly acidic during the digestion of a meal, while the small intestine cannot tolerate high acidity. A homeostatic mechanism exists that protects the small intestine when contents arrive from the stomach. When acid levels increase in the lumen of the small intestine, cells in the intestinal wall detect this change and mechanisms within those cells lead to the secretion of the hormone, secretin. Secretin then travels through the bloodstream to cells that line the pancreatic ducts, and stimulates them to secrete bicarbonate. When bicarbonate is released into the small intestine lumen it neutralizes the acid that has arrived from the stomach. Identify the parts of this homeostatic reflex by dragging the correct components from the box at left into the sentences.

Explanation / Answer

The receptor in this example is the cell type in the small intestine that detects acidity.

The afferent pathway in this example is the hormone secretin travelling with in the blood stream.

The cells acting as the integrating center in this example are the cell type in the pancreatic duct that secretes bicarbonate.

The efferent pathway in this example is the bicarbonate in the pancreatic duct.

The effector in this example is the same cells that acts as the receptors.

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