GI TRACT & FOOD PATH

What does GI stand for?

Gastrointestinal.

What is the GI tract?

The digestive tract that extends from the mouth to the anus.

What is the path of food through the GI tract?

Mouth → esophagus → stomach → small intestine → large intestine → rectum → anus.

What is the full food pathway from your professor's slides?

Mouth → bolus → epiglottis → esophagus → lower esophageal sphincter → stomach → chyme → pyloric sphincter → small intestine → large intestine → rectum → anus.

What is a bolus?

A mixture of chewed food and saliva that is swallowed.

What does the epiglottis do?

Prevents food from entering the lungs/airway during swallowing.

What is the lower esophageal sphincter?

A circular muscle between the esophagus and stomach that helps prevent stomach contents from backing up.

What is a sphincter?

A circular muscle that prevents food or digestive contents from backing up.

What is the pyloric sphincter?

The sphincter that regulates the movement of chyme from the stomach into the small intestine.

What is peristalsis?

Wavelike muscular contractions that push food forward through the GI tract.

What is segmentation?

Periodic squeezing and back-and-forth movement of digestive contents.

What is GI transit time?

The time from the mouth to the anus.

What is the GI transit time according to your slides?

24–72 hours.

What type of meal takes the longest to digest?

A high-fat meal.

What type of meal digests the fastest?

A meal high in simple sugars.

What affects the rate of digestion?

The composition of the meal.