CGRN Trivia 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In what year did Barry Marshall drink a Petri dish of H. pylori culture to prove it caused gastritis?
- 1975
- 1984 (Correct answer)
- 1994
- 2001
Correct answer: 1984
In 1984, Marshall drank H. pylori to prove Koch's postulates, developing gastritis and curing himself with antibiotics.
Marshall was frustrated that the medical establishment refused to accept bacteria could cause ulcers. He drank a broth culture, developed gastritis confirmed by endoscopy, and cured himself with antibiotics. He and Robin Warren received the 2005 Nobel Prize.
Question 2: What is the origin of the term 'endoscopy'?
- Latin for 'internal camera'
- Greek: 'endon' (within) + 'skopein' (to look) (Correct answer)
- German for 'tube examination'
- Arabic for 'stomach viewing'
Correct answer: Greek: 'endon' (within) + 'skopein' (to look)
From Greek 'endon' (within) and 'skopein' (to look at/examine).
The word literally means 'looking inside.' The first practical endoscope was Philipp Bozzini's 'Lichtleiter' in 1806. Modern flexible fiberoptic endoscopy was pioneered by Basil Hirschowitz in 1957.
Question 3: Which organ produces approximately 1-1.5 liters of bile per day?
- Gallbladder
- Liver (Correct answer)
- Pancreas
- Small intestine
Correct answer: Liver
The liver produces 500-1,500 mL of bile daily. The gallbladder only stores and concentrates bile.
The liver is the sole producer of bile. The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile (absorbing up to 80-90% of water) between meals. CCK stimulates gallbladder contraction after dietary fat enters the duodenum. Patients live without a gallbladder after cholecystectomy because the liver continues bile production.
Question 4: What is the approximate total length of the adult human GI tract?
- 10 feet (3 meters)
- 15 feet (4.5 meters)
- 25-30 feet (7.5-9 meters) (Correct answer)
- 50 feet (15 meters)
Correct answer: 25-30 feet (7.5-9 meters)
The total GI tract is approximately 25-30 feet, with the small intestine comprising about 20 feet.
Approximate lengths: esophagus 10 inches, stomach 10 inches, small intestine 20 feet (duodenum 10 inches, jejunum 8 feet, ileum 12 feet), large intestine 5 feet. The small intestine's absorptive surface area with all villi and microvilli is approximately 250 square meters.
Question 5: The first successful endoscopic polypectomy using a wire snare was performed in what decade?
- 1950s
- 1960s
- 1970s (Correct answer)
- 1980s
Correct answer: 1970s
In 1971, Hiromi Shinya and William Wolff performed the first successful colonoscopic polypectomy at Beth Israel Medical Center.
This was a watershed moment — colonic polyps could be removed without major surgery. Before this, polyp removal required laparotomy and colotomy. Shinya went on to remove over 100,000 polyps without a fatality. This established colonoscopy with polypectomy as the foundation of CRC prevention.
Question 6: What unusual distinction does the stomach have among digestive organs regarding its muscle layers?
- It has no muscle layers
- It has three muscle layers instead of the typical two (Correct answer)
- It has the thickest serosa
- It is the only organ with voluntary muscle control
Correct answer: It has three muscle layers instead of the typical two
The stomach uniquely has three smooth muscle layers: longitudinal, circular, and oblique.
Most of the GI tract has two muscle layers (longitudinal and circular). The stomach's additional inner oblique layer enables vigorous churning and grinding. The stomach can expand from ~50 mL to 1-1.5 L after a meal. Gastric acid pH is 1.5-3.5.
CGRN Trivia 2
In what year did Barry Marshall drink a Petri dish of H. pylori culture to prove it caused gastritis?