This diagram shows a mass of food as it moves along the oesophagus. Draw an arrow in the diagram to show the direction in which the food is moving.

As shown in the diagram, the arrow indicates that food moves in the forward direction towards the stomach from the oesophagus.

This diagram shows a mass of food as it moves along the oesophagus. Identify and name the movement shown in the diagram. How does this movement help in the digestion of food?

Food moves in the forward direction towards the stomach from the oesophagus. The movement shown in the diagram is called peristalsis. Peristalsis is a rhythmic wave-like movement of muscles in the wall of the alimentary canal. It carries the bolus towards the stomach. The muscles allow the stomach to churn food during digestion. The wall of the oesophagus contains two layers of muscles: The longitudinal muscles on the outer side of the gut wall. The circular muscles on the inner side of the gut wall. Peristaltic movement creates a wave-like movement occurs by relaxation and contraction of muscles, so bolus moves in a forward direction toward the stomach. It helps in mixing up food with digestive enzymes for proper digestion.