deglutition
Sending food down
Deglutition is the medical term for swallowing—the process of moving food or liquid from the mouth through the pharynx and esophagus to the stomach.
The word appears almost exclusively in clinical contexts: The patient showed impaired deglutition following the stroke.
Outside medicine, people just say swallowing.
Muscular throat cavity
- larynxSpeech-producing throat organ
- epiglottisWindpipe-covering throat cartilage
- tongueOral muscle for taste
- uvulaSoft palate pendant
Ingesting via throat muscles
- bolusChewed food mass
- peristalsisInvoluntary digestive muscle waves
- pharynxMuscular throat cavity
- epiglottisWindpipe-covering throat cartilage
saliva · hyoid · nasopharynx · oropharynx
Medical swallowing difficulty
- aspirationStrong desire for achievement
- chokingBlocked airway condition
- achalasiaEsophageal motility disorder
- strictureLimiting rule or censure
penetration · residue · pooling · reflux · esophagitis
Teeth-based food breakdown
- chewingCrushing food orally
- salivaMouth's digestive secretion
- amylaseStarch-digesting enzyme
- gastricOf the stomach
stomach · chyme · absorption · nutrients · alimentary · enzymatic
Measuring pressure in fluids
- NPOMedical fasting directive
- nasogastricNose-to-stomach route
- rehabilitationRecovery from injury/addiction
pharynx
Muscular throat cavity
- larynxSpeech-producing throat organ
- epiglottisWindpipe-covering throat cartilage
- tongueOral muscle for taste
swallowing
Ingesting via throat muscles
- bolusChewed food mass
- peristalsisInvoluntary digestive muscle waves
- pharynxMuscular throat cavity
epiglottis · saliva · hyoid · nasopharynx · oropharynx
dysphagia
Medical swallowing difficulty
- aspirationStrong desire for achievement
- chokingBlocked airway condition
- achalasiaEsophageal motility disorder
stricture · penetration · residue · pooling · reflux · esophagitis
mastication
Teeth-based food breakdown
gastric · stomach · chyme · absorption · nutrients · alimentary · enzymatic
manometry
Measuring pressure in fluids
- NPOMedical fasting directive
- nasogastricNose-to-stomach route
- rehabilitationRecovery from injury/addiction
deglutitionregurgitation
Ejecting swallowed material
emesis · vomiting · expectoration · spitting · eructation