What Physiological Changes Occur That Predispose the Elderly to Constipation

question 13

Multiple Choice

What physiological changes occur that predispose the elderly to constipation?

• A)Decreased control of the anal sphincter muscles
• B)Diminished innervation of the internal sphincter
• C)Inability to absorb fluid from the chyme in the colon
• D)Loss of tone in the smooth muscle of the colon

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Definitions:

Amoebozoans

A group of protozoans, including amoebas, characterized by their ability to change shape through the extension and retraction of pseudopodia.

Heterotrophic Protists

Protists that obtain their nutrition by consuming organic compounds, contrasting with those that produce their own food through photosynthesis.

Cell Wall

Rigid but permeable layer of extracellular matrix that surrounds the plasma membrane of some cells.

Secondary Endosymbiosis

A chloroplast evolves from a red alga or green alga that was engulfed by a heterotrophic protist.