Question

What is peristalsis? How this is helpful to various animals? How is motion of snake different from peristalisis?

Answer 1

Contraction and relaxation of the muscle layers occurs in waves which push the contents of the tract onwards.This type of contraction of smooth muscle is called peristalsis.

Answer 2

• The process of peristalsis is defined as the contraction and the relaxation of the muscle of the passage which starts from the mouth and ends in oesophagus, which results in the downward movement of the food particles and various other things which we ingest down the oesophagus. It ends at rectum.

• It helps in the downward movement of food particles and helps in digestion.

• Snake moves by the process of crawling on the surface. Peristalsis is not crawling.