Swallowing and Vomiting Flashcards
What is the technical term for swallowing?
deglutition
How many phases are there in swallowing?
3
What are the phases of swallowing?
Oral, Pharyngeal and Esophageal
Which of the swallowing phases are voluntary?
oral phase
Which of the swallowing phases are involuntary?
pharyngeal and esophageal
How long does the entire swallowing process take on average?
6 seconds
Where is the soft palate positioned at the start of the oral phase of swallowing?
down and forward
What is the position of the food bolus in the start of the oral phase of swallowing?
pressed against the hard palate
Which cranial nerves are involved in the oral phase of swallowing?
Trigeminal, Facial, Hypoglossal
Where is the food bolus towards the end of the oral phase of swallowing?
pushed posteriorly towards the soft palate
What marks the end of the oral phase and the start of the pharyngeal phase of swallowing?
the elevation of the hyoid bone
What five things occur simultaneously in the pharyngeal phase?
elevation of the soft palate, contraction of palatine-pharyngeal folds, pulling together of the vocal cords, contraction of pharyngeal constrictor muscles, inhibition of the oesophageal sphincter by the vagal nerve
What is the purpose of the elevation of the soft palate in the pharyngeal phase of swallowing?
allows food bolus to move to the base of the tongue
What is the purpose of the contraction of the palatine-pharyngeal folds in the pharyngeal phase of swallowing?
pushes the food bolus down
What is the purpose of the pulling together of the vocal cords in the pharyngeal phase of swallowing?
prevents food entering the trachea and protects the airways
What is the purpose of the contraction of the pharyngeal constrictor muscles in the pharyngeal phase of swallowing?
pushes food to the esophagus
What is the purpose of the inhibition of the esophageal sphincter by the vagal nerve in the pharyngeal phase of swallowing?
prevents food entering the esophagus before it should
What are the suprahyoid muscles?
digastric, stylohyoid, mylohyoid, geniohyoid
Aside from the suprahyoid muscles, which muscles of the pharynx are involved with raising the hyoid bone?
palatopharyngeus and stylopharyngeus
Where is the epiglottis positioned in the oesophageal phase of swallowing?
down to close the airway
What is the purpose of the posterior cricoid cartilage in the oesophageal phase of swallowing?
it works with the posterior pharyngeal wall to create a pharyngeal oesophageal segment where the food bolus waits for the sphincter to open
What type of epithelium lines the oesophagus?
stratified epithelium
How long is the oesophagus?
20cm
What type of muscle forms the upper third of the oesophagus?
striated muscle fibres
What type of muscle forms the middle third of the oesophagus?
mixed striated and smooth muscle fibres
What type of muscle forms the lower third of the oesophagus?
smooth muscle fibres
Is the striated muscle of the oesophagus under voluntary or involuntary control?
involuntary