What term describes the food in the mouth that is ready to be swallowed?

What term describes the food in the mouth that is ready to be swallowed?

• A. Bolus
• B. Chyme
• C. Saliva
• D. Mucus

Answer: (A)

The mass of chewed food in the mouth that’s ready to be swallowed is called a bolus. When you chew, the teeth and tongue work together to break food into smaller pieces, and saliva helps bind those pieces into a smooth, cohesive lump. That lump—the bolus—is shaped to be swallowed and moved toward the throat for swallowing. Chyme refers to the partly digested material in the stomach after mixing with gastric juice, not the food in the mouth. Saliva is the mouth’s digestive fluid that moistens and starts digestion, and mucus is a protective secretion lining and lubricating the digestive tract. So the term for the food in the mouth ready to swallow is bolus.

The mass of chewed food in the mouth that’s ready to be swallowed is called a bolus. When you chew, the teeth and tongue work together to break food into smaller pieces, and saliva helps bind those pieces into a smooth, cohesive lump. That lump—the bolus—is shaped to be swallowed and moved toward the throat for swallowing. Chyme refers to the partly digested material in the stomach after mixing with gastric juice, not the food in the mouth. Saliva is the mouth’s digestive fluid that moistens and starts digestion, and mucus is a protective secretion lining and lubricating the digestive tract. So the term for the food in the mouth ready to swallow is bolus.