Q. Why do we vomit?
Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.
Vomiting is an important defense mechanism for the body, usually triggered when something that doesn't agree with us gets into our system. It's a way for our bodies to expel toxins and stop them from doing harm. This biological response can be activated in various ways, such as by disease-causing germs, certain medications, or food poisoning.
When the body senses something foreign or potentially harmful, it triggers a reflex arc known as the vomiting center which involves both the central nervous system and enteric nervous system. This reaction stimulates stomach cells called chemoreceptor trigger zones (CTZs) to secrete neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin which cause coordinated contractions of your abdominal muscles that force material out of your stomach in a technique referred to as peristalsis.
Once activated by stimuli like medication or food poisoning, the vomiting center is then reinforced by other parts of the brain due to nausea signals sent via pathways including ones connected through structures like the trigeminal nerve and solitary tract nucleus. Additionally other bodily fluids can act on this network causing symptoms such as salivation in what’s known as conditioned taste aversion learning – where we associate certain tastes with being sick after experiencing nausea upon its ingestion before . When these reactions are repeated over time it helps reinforce our hesitancy towards certain smells or flavours even more so if they were related to previous sicknesses experienced .
Overall it’s clear why vomiting exists within our biology - it gives us an emergency eject button from anything we put into ourselves that may not agree with us , helping protect us from further harm .
Related Questions
-
What advances have been made in the field of cardiology for managing and treating holes in the heart? | Secondmedic
-
Cardiology Heart disease Can you pursue an MD in Cardiology afte
-
Cardiology Heart disease What is electrical cardioversion?
-
Are there any specific exercises or physical activities that can help prevent heart attacks? | Secondmedic