vomiting

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Read Next

How Do Antacids Work?

People wearing surgical masks (also called face mask or medical masks or safety masks) walk through the city center of Milan, Italy on Feb. 23, 2020. Coronavirus disease COVID-19 pandemic

How Do Face Masks Control the Spread of Disease?

Scanning electron micrograph showing the spiral-shaped bacteria of the genus Leptospira. These organisms cause leptospirosis.

8 Zoonotic Diseases

What Are the Symptoms of a Stroke?

close up of 3d microscopic blue bacteria

What Was Life Like Before We Knew About Germs?

Discover

Pluto. The Changing Faces of Pluto. Most detailed view to date of the entire surface of the dwarf planet Pluto, as constructed from multiple NASA Hubble Space Telescope photographs taken from 2002 to 2003.

10 Important Dates in Pluto History

earthquake. Heavily damaged school in the town of Yingxiu after a major earthquake struck China's Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008.

The 6 Deadliest Earthquakes Since 1950

Periodical Cicada, Adult, Magicicada spp. Requires 17 years to complete development. Nymph splits its skin, and transforms into an adult. Feeds on sap of tree roots. Northern Illinois Brood. This brood is the largest emergence of cicadas anywhere

Why Do Some Cicadas Appear Only Every 17 Years?

Queen Elizabeth II addresses at opening of Parliament. (Date unknown on photo, but may be 1958, the first time the opening of Parliament was filmed.)

All 119 References in “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Explained

Vietnam War. U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson awards the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant Marty A. Hammer, during a visit to military personnel, Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam, October 26, 1966. President Johnson

Vietnam War Timeline

United States Electoral College votes by state

How Many Electoral College Votes Does Each U.S. State Have?

9 of the World’s Deadliest Spiders

Science & Tech

vomiting

pathology

Also known as: emesis

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 1, 2024 • Article History

Category: Science & Tech

Also called:: emesis

Related Topics:: digestive system disease; nausea

See all related content →

vomiting, the forcible ejection of stomach contents from the mouth. Like nausea, vomiting may have a wide range of causes, including motion sickness, the use of certain drugs, intestinal obstruction, disease or disorder of the inner ear, injury to the head, and appendicitis. It may even occur without nausea, such as after extreme physical exertion. Vomiting is believed to be controlled by two distinct brain centres—the vomiting centre and the chemoreceptor trigger zone—both located in the medulla oblongata. The vomiting centre initiates and controls the act of emesis, which involves a series of contractions of the smooth muscles lining the ...(100 of 221 words)

Access the full article

Help support true facts by becoming a member.