GI 4 Flashcards
What are the three functions of the mouth?
- Mechanical breakdown of food
- Preparation for swallowing
- Onset of digestion
How does the mouth mechanically breakdown food?
By mastication (chewing)
Which facilitates the mastication in the mouth?
Teeth and facial muscle
How does the mouth prepare food for swallowing?
By moistening of the food bolus using saliva
How does the mouth begin the onset of digestion?
Through enzymatic breakdown of carbohydrates with salivary amylase
What is a muscle that helps with mastication?
The masseter
What does Salivary amylase breakdown?
Carbohydrates
What is the breakdown due to Amylase more to do with?
Taste rather than digestion and absorption
What is the swallowing reflex under the control of?
The autonomic nervous system
What is swallowing initiated by?
The voluntary collection of the food bolus into the pharynx by the tongue
What is the Oral Phase of swallowing?
The voluntary collection of the food bolus into the pharynx by the tongue
What are the three phases of swallowing?
- Oral Phase
- Pharyngeal Phase
- Esophageal Phase
What occurs in the Pharyngeal phase of Swallowing?
Involuntary contraction of the pharyngeal muscles that push the bolus into the esophagus
What occurs during the esophageal phase?
The bolus driven down by the esophagus by peristaltic contraction
Aside from swallowing, what does the swallowing reflex include?
The closure of the Glottis and inhibition of respiration
