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Cephalic Phase of Digestion Explained

The document outlines the five phases of digestion: cephalic, oral, pharyngeal, esophageal, and final phase. It details the processes involved in each phase, emphasizing the role of sensory stimuli in the cephalic phase and the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food in subsequent phases. The final phase includes nutrient absorption and waste elimination.

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Mayank Singh
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20 views4 pages

Cephalic Phase of Digestion Explained

The document outlines the five phases of digestion: cephalic, oral, pharyngeal, esophageal, and final phase. It details the processes involved in each phase, emphasizing the role of sensory stimuli in the cephalic phase and the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food in subsequent phases. The final phase includes nutrient absorption and waste elimination.

Uploaded by

Mayank Singh
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

LECTURE 46

SUMMARY

MODULE 7 –LECTURE 3
Food when enters the mouth.....

DIGESTION AND GUT HEALTH


5 PHASES OF DIGESTION
1. Cephalic phase
2. Oral phase
3. pharyngeal phase
4. Esophageal phase
5. Last phase

1. Cephalic phase

The cephalic phase is the earliest phase of digestion, which


begins even before food enters the digestive tract. It
involves the preparation of the digestive system in
response to sensory stimuli, typically the sight, smell,
taste, or even thought of food.

The cephalic phase illustrates the close connection


between the brain and digestive system, showing how
psychological and sensory cues can influence the
digestive process even before food is consumed.
2. Oral phase ( buccal phase )
The oral phase of digestion, also known as the buccal
phase, refers specifically to the processes that occur in the
mouth when food is chewed and mixed with saliva before
being swallowed. This phase is crucial as it initiates the
breakdown of food and prepares it for further digestion in
the stomach and intestines.

Mastication (Chewing): Food enters the mouth, where it is broken down into
smaller pieces by the teeth. Chewing not only reduces the size of food
particles but also increases the surface area, making it easier for enzymes to
act upon them.

Salivation: Saliva contains water, electrolytes, mucus, and enzymes such as


amylase (salivary amylase or ptyalin), which begins the digestion of
carbohydrates by breaking down starches into maltose.

Formation of Bolus: As food is chewed and mixed with saliva, it forms a soft,
moistened mass called a bolus. The bolus is easier to swallow and helps
facilitate the movement of food down the esophagus.
3. Pharyngeal phase

Initiation of Swallowing Reflex: Once the bolus is formed,


it is moved to the back of the mouth by the tongue,
triggering the swallowing reflex. This reflex ensures that
the bolus is propelled into the esophagus and not into the
airway.

4. Esophageal phase

In this phase, the bolus moves through the esophagus


toward the stomach due to peristaltic waves of muscular
contractions. These contractions propel the bolus
downward, a process facilitated by the lower esophageal
sphincter (LES) relaxing to allow passage into the
stomach.

5. Final phase

Digestion continues through the gastric phase in the


stomach, where mechanical mixing and chemical
digestion ( with help of digestive juices) breakdown the
bolus further.
This is followed by intestinal phase, where most nutrient
absorption takes place.
Then the elimination phase where waste products are
expelled from the body.

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