CHEWING BEHAVIOR – PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS

Abstract

Chewing is the first step in the process of digestion and is meant to prepare the food for swallowing and further processing in the digestive system. During chewing, the food bolus or food particles are reduced in size and saliva is secreted to moisten and lubricate the food. The urge to swallow the food could be triggered by a threshold level in both food particle size and lubrication of the food bolus. The physiological masticatory behavior is essentially defined, by the ability of different muscle groups to act alternately, correlated, integrated and nuanced, to achieve an effectively adapted mastication. Human chewing behavior is one of the most complex physiological behaviors.

Keywords

• chewing
• physiological masticatory behavior
• process of digestion