bolus
Physiology
(noun)
Moistened and mechanically manipulated food.
Biology
(noun)
a round mass of something, especially of chewed food in the mouth or alimentary canal
Examples of bolus in the following topics:
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Organs of the Digestive System
- When we mix up food with saliva, the resulting mushy wad is called a bolus.
- The bolus gets swallowed, and there begins its journey through the upper gastrointestinal tract.
- As we swallow, the bolus moves down our esophagus, from pharynx to stomach, through waves of muscle movement known as peristalsis.
- Next the bolus reaches the stomach itself.
- Here our bolus gets mixed with digestive acids, furthering breakdown, and turning the bolus material into a slimy mess called chyme.
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Processes and Functions of the Digestive System
- Once food is moistened and rolled and ready to swallow, it is known as a bolus.
- Swallowing occurs when the muscles in your tongue and mouth move the bolus into your pharynx.
- Waves of muscle movement, called peristalsis, move the bolus down to the stomach.
- Once the bolus reaches the stomach, gastric juices mix with the partially digested food and continue the breakdown process.
- The bolus is converted into a slimy material called chyme.
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Digestive System: Mouth and Stomach
- The chewing and wetting action provided by the teeth and saliva shape the food into a mass called the bolus for swallowing.
- The tongue aids in swallowing by moving the bolus from the mouth into the pharynx.
- With the help of the tongue, the resulting bolus is moved into the esophagus by swallowing.
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The Rumen and Ruminant Animals
- Solids are formed into a bolus, called "cud," in the rumen and the solid cud is regurgitated back up to the mouth where it is chewed a second time, and returned to the reticulorumen to repeat the process.
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Esophagus
- In much of the gastrointestinal tract, smooth muscles contract in sequence to produce a peristaltic wave which forces a ball of food (called a bolus) from the pharynx to the stomach.
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Ingestion
- Once in the mouth, the teeth, saliva, and tongue play important roles in mastication (preparing the food into bolus).
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Digestion in the Mouth, Pharynx, and Esophagus
- It also contains mucus, a glycoprotein, that helps soften the food and form it into a bolus.
- The reflex is initiated by touch receptors in the pharynx as the bolus of food is pushed to the back of the mouth.
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Mouth
- Saliva keeps the mouth moist and lubricates the food, helping the tongue form the food into a soft wad, called a bolus.
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Adjustments of the Infant at Birth
- If the blood glucose is still low, then an intravenous (IV) bolus of glucose may be delivered, with continuous infusion if necessary.