8 steps to get food from mouth to stomach?

Answer 1

# The food is chewed up and moistened with saliva to become a bolus, or a rounded mass of food. # The bolus is pushed to the back of the mouth by the tongue and the cheeks. # The soft palate and pendant uvula seal off the nasal cavity. # The tip of the tongue pushes up against the top of the mouth while the base of the tongue pushes the food down, and the sides of the pharynx contract. # The hyoid bone and the larynx are elevated. # The bolus pushes down on the epiglottis, which blocks the trachea. # A contraction of the pharynx pushes the bolus into the esophagus, past the larynx. # Another wave of contractions pushes the bolus through the esophagus to the stomach. The muscles of the neck and throat then relax and return to their normal breathing position