AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The esophagus: Food travels down a muscular tube in the chest called the esophagus (ih-SAH-fuh-gus). Waves of muscle contractions called peristalsis (per-uh-STALL-sus) force food down through the esophagus to the stomach. A person usually isn’t aware of the muscle movements that push food through the digestive tract.

Detailed explanation-2: -Peristalsis is a series of wave-like muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract. It starts in the esophagus where strong wave-like motions of the smooth muscle move balls of swallowed food to the stomach.

Detailed explanation-3: -Peristalsis is the automatic wave-like movement of the muscles that line your gastrointestinal tract. Peristalsis moves food through your digestive system, beginning in your throat when you swallow and continuing through your esophagus, stomach and intestines while you digest.

Detailed explanation-4: -Esophagus. After you swallow, peristalsis pushes the food down your esophagus into your stomach.

Detailed explanation-5: -Peristaltic movement is the contraction and relaxation of these muscles in the food pipe which brings the food down the pipe and into the stomach. It is a Zig-Zag movement.