Common Digestive and Respiratory System Diseases

Posted on Feb 21, 2025 in Biology

Common Digestive System Diseases

Gingivitis: Painful inflammation of the gums; they redden and bleed. It can be caused by cavities, vitamin deficiency, alcohol consumption, or oral infections.

Gastritis: Irritation of the gastric mucosa. Symptoms include acidity, stomach pain, and heartburn. Caused by irritants such as alcohol, tobacco, spicy foods, and some medications.

Ulcer: A wound caused by the destruction of the gastric mucosa. It is located in the stomach or duodenum. Symptoms: heartburn, acid reflux, pain, and sometimes bloody vomit. Causes include alcohol, tobacco, spicy foods, and some medications.

Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver. Symptoms: gagging, vomiting, loss of appetite, and yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice).

Cirrhosis: Liver cell destruction and the formation of scar tissue. Often caused by prolonged consumption of alcoholic beverages or chronic hepatitis. Symptoms include fatigue, nausea, bleeding, and swelling of the abdomen.

Gallstones: Solid particles formed from cholesterol or mineral salts found in bile. Symptoms include pain and impaired digestion, especially of fats.

Intestinal Infections or Gastroenteritis: Infections caused by certain bacteria in food. Symptoms include vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, and diarrhea.

Salmonellosis: An infectious disease caused by toxic substances or toxins produced by certain bacteria. Symptoms include vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fever.

Appendicitis: Inflammation of the appendix caused by the retention of waste inside, which favors the action of bacteria. Symptoms include intense pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever.

Common Respiratory System Diseases

Sinusitis: Inflammation of the sinus cavities in the facial bones and skull that are connected to the nostrils.

Allergic Rhinitis: The presence of certain substances in the air can trigger allergic reactions in some people.

Chronic Bronchitis: Irritation of the mucosa of the bronchi from various causes.

Pulmonary Emphysema: Increased size of the pulmonary alveoli until they are eventually destroyed.

Pleurisy: Inflammation of the pleura, manifested by severe pain (especially when coughing), fever, and pleural fluid spills.

Lung and Throat Cancer: Uncontrolled growth of a mass of tissue that invades and destroys nearby tissue. It is frequent in smokers.

Digestive Process Notes

  • Gastric juice contains:
    • Pepsin: An enzyme that begins the digestion of proteins.
    • Hydrochloric acid: Activates pepsin, promotes its action to facilitate the disintegration of food fibers, and kills bacteria.
  • The pancreas serves two functions:
    • It produces hormones that regulate the amount of carbohydrates in the internal environment and their accumulation in the liver.
    • It secretes pancreatic juice, which is poured into the duodenum through the ampulla of Vater, where the ducts from the liver and pancreas join. Pancreatic juice contains enzymes capable of digesting the types of molecules present in foods and sodium bicarbonate, which neutralizes the chyme’s acidity, preventing intestinal cells from being damaged.
  • Digestion and Enzymes:
    • Starch, amylase, maltase, glucose.
    • Sucrose, sucrase, glucose-fructose.
    • Fats, lipase, glycerol-fatty acids.
    • Proteins, pepsin-trypsin-erepsin, amino acids.
  • End Products of Digestion
    • Monosaccharides or simple sugars: Obtained from more complex carbohydrates.
    • Glycerol and fatty acids: Derived from fat.
    • Amino acids: Obtained from protein.