Conclusions
Both exits from the abdomen for gut contents are associated with smooth-muscle sphincter-like segments of the gut tube in the sense that they are in a state of tonic contraction most of the time. Both these sphincters and their connections with the nervous system are interesting physiological phenomena, but their function appears to be secondary to a simple mechanical process which is responsible for closure of the tube and its controlled opening. Indeed, the body appears to be able to function satisfactorily without the sphincters, and their presence requires complex means of overcoming their unwanted activities. The detailed investigation of these sphincters has perhaps taken them out of their right perspective, and other factors, only determinable in the intact human, have been lost sight of.
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Edwards, D.A.W. Sphincter mechanisms in the gastrointestinal tract. Digest Dis Sci 12, 267–276 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02233644
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02233644