A 2-year-old girl passes stool 10 min after the intake of food. This is due to
Enterogastric reflex - when food enters the duodenum, multiple nervous reflexes are initiated from the duodenal wall which passes back to the stomach to slow or even stop stomach emptying if the volume of chyme in the duodenum becomes too much. In the intestino-intestinal reflex, overdistention of one segment of the intestine relaxes the smooth muscle in the rest of the intestine.Distension of the stomach by food initiates contractions of the rectum and, frequently, a desire to defecate. The response is called the gastrocolic reflex and may be amplified by an action of gastrin on the colon. Because of the response, defecation after meals is the rule in children. Recto-sphincteric reflex also called as defecation reflex - distention of the rectum initiates the reflex and causes the urge to defecate.
Enterogastric reflex
Intestino - intestinal reflex
Gastrocolic reflex
Recto-sphincteric reflex
General physiology