Bolus (digestion)
Encyclopedia
In digestion
, a bolus (from Latin bolus, ball) is a mass of food that has been chewed
at the point of swallowing. Once a bolus reaches the stomach, digestion begins.
Digestion
Digestion is the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into smaller components that are more easily absorbed into a blood stream, for instance. Digestion is a form of catabolism: a breakdown of large food molecules to smaller ones....
, a bolus (from Latin bolus, ball) is a mass of food that has been chewed
Mastication
Mastication or chewing is the process by which food is crushed and ground by teeth. It is the first step of digestion and it increases the surface area of foods to allow more efficient break down by enzymes. During the mastication process, the food is positioned between the teeth for grinding by...
at the point of swallowing. Once a bolus reaches the stomach, digestion begins.