Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Definition
The pyloric sphincter is a muscular valve that controls the passage of partially digested food from the stomach to the small intestine. It acts as a gatekeeper, opening to allow the contents to move on for further digestion and absorption.
A muscular organ involved in mechanical digestion and chemical digestion of food before it passes through the pyloric sphincter into the small intestine.
The part of the gastrointestinal tract where most of the digestion and absorption of nutrients takes place, receiving partially digested food from the stomach via the pyloric sphincter