Waves of Muscular Contractions That Propel the Contents of the Digestive

Question

Waves of muscular contractions that propel the contents of the digestive tract are called
A) segmentation.
B) pendular movements.
C) peristalsis.
D) churning movements.
E) mastication.

Accepted Answer

Peristalsis is the coordinated smooth muscle contractions that push food along the digestive tract in one direction. Segmentation refers to the rhythmic contraction and relaxation of small segments of the digestive tract, which serves to mix and fragment the contents. Pendular movements refer to a rocking or pendulum-like motion of the digestive tract, particularly the small intestine. Churning movements refer to the mixing and grinding of food in the stomach by the muscular contractions. Mastication is the process of chewing and breaking down food in the mouth.