Swallowing

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/swallowing

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Deglutition
2. What is the phases of swallowing?Oral preparatory, pharyngeal (involuntary), and esophageal (involuntary)
3. What happens when I swallow food?First, I chew and mix food with saliva to make a ball called a bolus. My tongue pushes it back into my throat, where muscles and nerves work fast to keep it from going into my nose or lungs. Then the bolus slides down into my stomach through a wave of muscle contractions.
4. Why does my throat close when I swallow?The soft palate lifts to block the nose, and the epiglottis folds over the opening to my lungs. This keeps food from going into the airway. The vocal cords also close to make a strong barrier.

Oropharyngeal Phase: The initial voluntary and involuntary stages of swallowing involving the mouth and throat.
Laryngeal Inlet: The opening to the larynx (voice box), which must be protected during swallowing.
Dysphagia: A medical term for difficulty or inability to swallow.