How do the intestines move food?

Question

Lucas Aguilar · Accepted Answer

The job of our intestines is not exactly to move food but, is to absorb nutrients from it.

In our body, intestines are involved in the digestion process of our food. What it basically means is, they help in breaking down large insoluble molecules from our food into smaller chunks so that they can be easily absorbed by the blood and help in further nourishment of our body.

There are mainly two types of intestines present in our body ie. the Small intestine which is around about 3-5 metres long and a Large intestine which is around about 1.5 metres long.
Both of these two intestines have their individual functions ie.
the small intestine helps in breaking down all nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins etc and sending the rest of the food which is waste for the body to the large intestine.

Once, the food reaches to large intestine it produces wave like movements which help to reach those waste prducts towards anus.

Gradually, when those waste products get entered into the rectum they are flushed out of our body in the form of stool.

Note: The length of our small intestine is larger than the length of our large intestine.

Grayson Anderson · Answer

undefined The intestines move food through a process called peristalsis, which involves waves of muscle contractions that push the food along the digestive tract.