alleryStart learning →What is peristalsis?
AThe absorption of water in the colon
BThe chemical breakdown by enzymes
CThe storage of food inside the crop
DWave-like smooth muscle contractions
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. Wave-like smooth muscle contractions
1. Peristalsis is defined as wave-like contractions of smooth muscle.
2. In the esophagus these waves push the food along towards the stomach.
3. The same movement later drives waste through the colon and out of the rectum.
4. It is a muscular process, so it works regardless of gravity.
_Source: OpenStax Biology 1e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 34 "Animal Nutrition and the Digestive System", section Monogastric: Single-chambered Stomach_
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