Food moves through the digestive tract by a process called peristalsis, which is a series of wave-like muscle contractions that push food and liquid through the digestive organs and mix their contents. The journey begins in the mouth where food is chewed and formed into a bolus, then swallowed into the esophagus. Here, peristalsis automatically pushes the food down to the stomach. In the stomach, muscles mix the food with digestive juices, breaking it down into a liquid mixture called chyme. The chyme then moves gradually into the small intestine where it is mixed further with digestive juices from the pancreas, liver, and intestine, allowing nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream. The remaining waste products pass into the large intestine, where water is absorbed, and the waste is formed into stool. Finally, the stool is stored in the rectum until it is expelled through the anus during a bowel movement. Throughout this process, muscle contractions, sphincters, and digestive secretions coordinate to ensure smooth and efficient movement and digestion of food.
