Control of Digestive System Function

Like any other physiologic process, proper function of the digestive system requires robust mechanisms for control and communication. Maintaining adequate control requires intimate participation from both the nervous and endocrine systems, and the gastrointestinal tract has built-in versions of both. One consequence of the complexity of digestive control systems is that many digestive diseases are associated with dysfunction in these relationships.

Core concepts related to control of digestive function:

• The Enteric Nervous System
• The Enteric Endocrine System
• Motility and Gastrointestinal Smooth Muscle

Advanced and supplemental topics related to control of digestive function:

• Electrophysiology of GI Smooth Muscle
• Physiology of Peristalsis
• Gastrointestinal Transit: How Long Does It Take?

Send comments to Richard.Bowen@colostate.edu