Bayliss-Starling Law of the Intestines (W. M. Bayliss, 1860-1924, English Physiologist; E. N. Starling, 1866-1927, English Physiologist)

Bayliss-Starling "Law of the Intestines": One of the explanations for the mechanism of peristalsis

Bayliss-Starling's "Law of the Gut" is a pattern discovered by physiologists William Morris Bayliss and Ernest Henry Starling. This law plays an important role in understanding the mechanisms of peristalsis and regulation of intestinal motor activity.

William Morris Bayliss and Ernest Henry Starling, British physiologists, conducted research in the field of the digestive system in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During their experiments, they noticed that stimulation of the intestinal walls by mechanical irritation causes two opposite effects: contraction above the site of irritation and relaxation below it.

According to the "Law of the Bowel," when a site of the intestine is mechanically irritated, the intestinal musculature above that point begins to contract, creating a peristaltic wave that moves the food bolus from the stomach to the anus. At the same time, the intestinal muscles below this point relax, allowing the food bolus to pass further along the digestive tract.

This law is one of the explanations for the mechanism of peristalsis - the coordinated contraction and relaxation of the intestinal muscles necessary for the movement of a food coma. Peristalsis is an important process in digestion because it allows food to move through the intestines, allowing for the absorption of nutrients and the removal of undigested debris.

Bayliss-Starling's "Law of the Intestines" is of great importance in the field of medicine and physiology. Understanding this law helps explain some digestive system disorders, such as functional bowel disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Abnormalities in peristalsis and improper coordination of contractions and relaxations can lead to symptoms such as abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhea.

In conclusion, Bayliss-Starling's "Law of the Intestines" is an important principle that explains the mechanism of peristalsis and regulation of intestinal motility. This law allows us to better understand the processes of digestion and can be used to find new approaches to the treatment of digestive system disorders.



Bayliss-Starling law of the gut

**Bayliss-Starling (“Law of the intestine”) law** is a widely known, but, as subsequent history has shown, insufficiently substantiated and therefore controversial law of normal human physiology and pathology. According to this law, “mechanical irritation of the intestinal walls produced by food or other objects causes contraction of the muscles located above the irritating site and relaxation of the muscles below it.” The authors are scientists from the Department of Human Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Bayliss Arthur William (Bayliss A. W.) and Starling Edgar Nata