Bolus (digestion)
In digestion, a bolus (from Latin bolus, "ball") is a ball-like mixture of food and saliva that forms in the mouth during the process of chewing (which is largely an adaptation for plant-eating mammals).[1] It has the same color as the food being eaten, and the saliva gives it an alkaline pH.
![](../I/Toothbrush_regurgitated_by_albatross_on_Tern_Island%252C_Hawaii_-_20060614.jpg.webp)
This bolus from an albatross has several ingested flotsam items, including monofilament from fishing nets and a discarded toothbrush. Tern Island, French Frigate Shoals
Under normal circumstances, the bolus is swallowed, and travels down the esophagus to the stomach for digestion.[2]
References
- "Digestion in the Mouth, Pharynx and Esophagus". Boundless. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
- "Bolus – Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary". Merriam-webster.com. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
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