The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) performs a series of coordinated movements to propel food through the digestive system and mix it with digestive enzymes.
These movements are essential for the effective breakdown, absorption, and elimination of food.
The main types of GIT movements are:
1. Peristalsis:
Rhythmic, wave-like contractions that propel food through the GIT from the esophagus to the rectum.
Helps move the bolus, chyme, and fecal matter through the digestive tract..
2. Segmentation:
Mixing contractions in the small intestine that divide chyme for better mixing with digestive enzymes and bile.
Enhances nutrient absorption by bringing chyme into closer contact with the intestinal wall..
3. Mass movements:
Large-scale, powerful contractions in the colon that move fecal matter toward the rectum.
Typically occur a few times a day, often after eating (gastrocolic reflex)..
4. Haustral churning:
Occurs in the colon, involving the filling and emptying of haustra (pouch-like structures).
Aids in the absorption of water and electrolytes from fecal matter.
5. Swallowing:
A complex reflex that moves food from the mouth to the stomach.
Begins as a voluntary action and continues involuntarily through the pharynx and esophagus..