Well Hung

[Sam]

If you ate some food, then hung up side down for hours (trying not to be sick), would it ever get to your intestines?? your thoughts please

 

[Barnet Seagull]

Yes.

 

[Lammy]

Yes

 

[Superphil]

peristalsis would see to it.

 

[Easy 10]

peristalsis would see to it.

Whats the greek full-back got to do with it ?

 

[Gazwag]

If you ate some food, then hung up side down for hours (trying not to be sick), would it ever get to your intestines?? your thoughts please

Are to planning to become a bat then ?

 

[Superphil]

 

[Superphil]

Peristalsis works just like toothpaste, to wit: circular and longitudinal muscles along the walls of the pharynx (throat), esophagus, stomach, and intestines contract in waves, pushing the food or whatever ahead, much like you squeeze that last smidgen of sex appeal out of the tube.

So powerful is the force created by these muscles that food passing through the pharynx is rammed down the line at a speed of about 25 feet per second. Things slow down a tad in the esophagus--here, four to eight inches of muscle contract at a time, and about nine seconds are required for the whole trip from throat to stomach.

Gravity is a secondary consideration, coming into play only when liquids are involved. When you're sitting up, liquids drop straight through the esophagus, then wait nine seconds or so for the peristaltic contractions to catch up and open the gateway to the stomach. If you're standing on your head or bending over, peristalsis does the job just fine, as any giraffe will be happy to attest.

Humanity has been sadly shortchanged in the peristalsis department. Cows and other cud-chewing animals (ruminants) have the ability to reverse the direction of peristalsis when necessary, bringing food up from the stomach to the mouth for a few extra chomps. All we have is Barry Manilow.

 

[Sam]

Re: Re: Well Hung

Are to planning to become a bat then ?

once it had got into the stomach, would it not just sit there, waiting until you stood up?

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

If digestion worked by gravity - how would astronauts get on ?

 

[teaboy]

Try it and find out.

We'll be expecting results this time next week.

Enjoy

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Humanity has been sadly shortchanged in the peristalsis department. Cows and other cud-chewing animals (ruminants) have the ability to reverse the direction of peristalsis when necessary, bringing food up from the stomach to the mouth for a few extra chomps. All we have is Barry Manilow.

That is a classic Superphil.