Physiology · Gastrointestinal System

Gastric motility and gastric emptying

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Definition

  • Gastric motility: hunger contractions, receptive relaxation, peristalsis, migrating motor complex and reverse peristalsis.
  • Gastric emptying: slow, controlled passage of gastric content into duodenum.

Types of Gastric Motility

  • Hunger contractions: vigorous, painful contractions of the empty stomach.
  • Hunger contractions grow more vigorous the longer the stomach stays empty.
  • Receptive relaxation: vagally mediated relaxation of fundus and body on chewing and swallowing.
  • Its efferent limb is non-cholinergic, releasing VIP and NO, unlike the usual cholinergic gastric motor pathway.
  • Prevents a rise in intragastric pressure as a large meal accumulates; continues as long as food keeps entering.