Which of the following terms best describes the bolus?

Which of the following terms best describes the bolus?

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

Answer: (A)

The bolus is the chewed, saliva-wetted mass of food that is ready to be swallowed. In the mouth, chewing and mixing with saliva form this lump, which then travels down the esophagus by peristaltic waves. It only becomes chyme once it mixes with gastric juice in the stomach, so chyme is the stomach’s content after digestion begins. Bile is the liver’s digestive fluid for fat emulsification, and mucus is a protective secretion lining the digestive tract. Therefore, the bolus is best described as the chewed, saliva-lubricated ball of food ready for swallowing.

The bolus is the chewed, saliva-wetted mass of food that is ready to be swallowed. In the mouth, chewing and mixing with saliva form this lump, which then travels down the esophagus by peristaltic waves. It only becomes chyme once it mixes with gastric juice in the stomach, so chyme is the stomach’s content after digestion begins. Bile is the liver’s digestive fluid for fat emulsification, and mucus is a protective secretion lining the digestive tract. Therefore, the bolus is best described as the chewed, saliva-lubricated ball of food ready for swallowing.