chyme

Examples of chyme in the following topics:

• Digestive System: Small and Large Intestines

  • Chyme moves from the stomach to the small intestine: the organ where the digestion of protein, fats, and carbohydrates is completed.
  • The "C-shaped," fixed part of the small intestine, the duodenum, is separated from the stomach by the pyloric sphincter which opens to allow chyme to move from the stomach to the duodenum where it mixes with pancreatic juices.
  • The alkaline solution is rich in bicarbonate that neutralizes the acidity of chyme and acts as a buffer.
  • The chyme produced from the stomach is highly acidic in nature; the pancreatic juices contain high levels of bicarbonate, an alkali that neutralizes the acidic chyme.
  • When chyme containing fatty acids enters the duodenum, the bile is secreted from the gallbladder into the duodenum.

• Hormonal Responses to Food

  • In the duodenum, digestive secretions from the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder play an important role in digesting chyme during the intestinal phase.
  • In order to neutralize the acidic chyme, a hormone called secretin stimulates the pancreas to produce alkaline bicarbonate solution and deliver it to the duodenum.
  • These hormones are released from endocrine tissue to generate specific controls in the digestion of chyme.

• Digestive System: Mouth and Stomach

  • The partially-digested food and gastric juice mixture is called chyme.
  • Chyme passes from the stomach to the small intestine.
  • Only a small amount of chyme is released into the small intestine at a time.
  • The movement of chyme from the stomach into the small intestine is regulated by the pyloric sphincter.

• Digestion and Absorption

  • The chyme from the stomach enters the duodenum and mixes with the digestive secretions from the pancreas, liver, and gallbladder.
  • These enzymes are produced by the pancreas and released into the duodenum where they also act on the chyme.
  • When chyme enters the duodenum, the hormonal responses trigger the release of bile, which is produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder.
  • These small globules are widely distributed in the chyme rather than forming large aggregates.
  • The micelles move into the brush border of the small intestine absorptive cells where the long-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides diffuse out of the micelles into the absorptive cells, leaving the micelles behind in the chyme.

• Neural Responses to Food

  • The intestinal phase begins when chyme enters the small intestine, triggering digestive secretions.
  • In addition to gastric emptying, when chyme enters the small intestine, it triggers other hormonal and neural events that coordinate the activities of the intestinal tract, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder.

• Pancreas

  • These enzymes help to further break down the carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids in the chyme.