This document summarizes the stages and mechanisms of swallowing and digestion. It describes the voluntary and pharyngeal stages of swallowing, including the soft palate closing the nasal cavity and epiglottis protecting the larynx. In the esophageal stage, food moves through peristalsis into the stomach for storage, mixing, and emptying into the small intestine through the pyloric pump. The small intestine further breaks down food through peristalsis and absorption. The ileocecal valve regulates emptying into the large intestine, where haustral contractions and mass movements slowly propel waste for absorption and storage until defecation.