088 SWALLOWING

1
088 SWALLOWING
Every time we eat we swallow our food. The
biophysical principles in swallowing are so
interesting that we can try them in the classroom
very easily.
MATERIALS REQUIRED
Yourself
Lets commence the experiment Sit relaxed and
swallow your saliva completely have you
swallowed? Very simple right?
2
Now keep your lips and teeth open. Try to swallow
your saliva. You are not able to?????
Now keep your teeth closed, but lips open. Try to
swallow your saliva. You are not able to? try
you can a bit difficult but you can
3
Now keep your lips and teeth closed. Try to
swallow your saliva. Its so easy.
We have the crico-pharyngeal valve thats
closed at a pressure greater than atmospheric
pressure. When we keep our lips and teeth closed
our tongue increases the pressure and that opens
the valve. Thats why when we keep our mouth open
the pressure in our mouth cavity is same as
atmospheric pressure and we are unable to swallow
our saliva. This is the biophysical principle in
swallowing.