Integrated response to a meal.

The article presents a brief overview of the responses of the GI tract and its associated pancreatic and biliary systems to a meal. These responses are specifically regulated by complex and interacting neural, hormonal, and parcrine pathways. Stimuli for various responses are multiple and include anticipation, senses of olfaction, taste and hearing, and chemical and mechanical stimuli of meal constituents. The overall result of the integrated response is assimilation of nutrients and elimination of wastes from the GI tract.