Regurgitation is the controlled flow of stomach contents back into the oesophagus and mouth. In anatomy, the stomach (in ancient Greek στόμαχος) is an organ in the gastrointestinal tract used to digest food. ... The esophagus, oe/œsophagus*, or gullet is the muscular tube in vertebrates through which ingested food passes from the mouth area to the stomach. ... Sagittal section of nose mouth, pharynx, and larynx. ...

Regurgitation is used by a number of species to feed their young. This is typically in circumstances where the young is at a fixed location and a parent must forage or hunt for food, especially under circumstances where the carriage of small prey would be subject to robbing by other predators or the whole prey is larger than can be carried to a den or nest.

It is a normal and voluntary process unlike the complex vomiting reflex in response to toxins. Vomiting (or emesis) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of ones stomach through the mouth. ...

See also

• Rumination