CHYME

a thick semifluid mass of partially digested food and digestive secretions that is formed in the stomach and intestines during digestion. In the stomach, digestive juices are formed by the gastric glands; these secretions include the enzyme pepsin, which breaks down proteins, and hydrochloric acid. Once food is in the small intestine, it stimulates the pancreas to release fluid containing a high concentration of bicarbonate. This neutralizes the highly acidic gastric juice, which would otherwise destroy the membrane lining of the intestine, resulting in a duodenal ulcer. Other secretions from the pancreas, gallbladder, liver, and glands in the intestinal wall add to the total volume of chyme. Muscular contractions of the stomach walls help to mix food and digestive substances together in forming chyme. As particles of food become small enough, they are passed at regular intervals into the small intestine. Once in the intestine, more enzymes are added and mixing continues. When food particles are sufficiently reduced in size and composition, they are absorbed by the intestinal wall and transported to the bloodstream. Some food material is passed from the small intestine to the large intestine, or colon. In the colon, chyme is acted upon by bacteria that break down the proteins, starches, and some plant fibres not totally digested by the other organs. In both the small and the large intestines, water is normally absorbed so the chyme gradually gets thicker. As chyme passes through the stomach and intestines, it picks up cellular debris and other types of waste products. When the intestines have absorbed all the nutrients from chyme, the remaining waste material passes to the end of the large intestine, the sigmoid colon and rectum, to be stored as fecal matter until it is ready to be excreted from the body.