Gastrointestinal contents

Gastrointestinal contents are the food, fluids, secretions, microorganisms, and other material inside the stomach and intestines. Their composition changes as digestion, absorption, and microbial activity proceed.

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Gastric juice: A stomach secretion containing hydrochloric acid, enzymes, mucus, and other substances. It mixes with swallowed material to create the stomach’s acidic contents.
Food: Substances consumed to provide nutrients, energy, or other dietary components. Food is the principal external material entering the digestive tract.
Gastric emptying: The movement of stomach contents into the small intestine. Its rate is measured to investigate delayed or unusually rapid passage from the stomach.
Gastrointestinal tract: The continuous muscular tube extending from the mouth to the anus. It is the anatomical passage in which gastrointestinal contents are processed.
Bowel obstruction: A blockage that prevents or impairs the passage of contents through the intestine. Obstruction causes contents to accumulate rather than progress normally.
Chyme: The semifluid mixture of partially digested food and gastric secretions formed in the stomach. It is the stomach contents prepared for passage into the small intestine.
Saliva: A fluid secreted by salivary glands that lubricates food and begins digestion. Swallowed saliva adds fluid and enzymes to gastrointestinal contents.
Gastric emptying scintigraphy: A nuclear medicine test that tracks the passage of a radiolabeled meal from the stomach. It directly measures how quickly a standardized meal leaves the stomach.
Gastrointestinal mucosa: The inner lining of the gastrointestinal tract, including epithelial cells and supporting tissue. It separates luminal contents from the body while permitting selective absorption and secretion.
Fecal impaction: A hardened mass of stool lodged in the rectum or colon that cannot be expelled normally. It is abnormal retention of contents, rather than ordinary intestinal transit.