Abstract
Seven adult goats were used to study the deglutition movement electro-myographically. Electromyograms were recorded from 17 muscles during natural eatingand from 22 ones under anesthesia. A pair of enamel-covered copper wires (140 7zm in diameter) were used as electrodes. Eight or nine electromyograms were recorded simultaneously at a time constant of 0.001 second. The typical pattern of electromyogram duringeating did not differ from that under anesthesia. The five lingual muscles started theiractivities simultaneously at the same time with the beginning of degltutition. They madethe tongue protrude dorsally and caudally, and the tongue pushed the bolus into thepharynx. On the other hand, the hyoid apparatus, the upper part of the esophagus, andthe larynx were pulled up toward the oral cavity by the lingual muscles.In these conditions, the six pharyngeal muscles contracted in order and transported thebolus into the esophagus. The process of deglutition was almost the same in goats asin dogs.
