# What is peristalsis?

It is called the peristalsis. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as wave-like muscular contractions.

## What it means

- Wave-like muscular contractions.
- Not a structure but a process, driven by the smooth muscle of the digestive tract.
- Moves food and waste through the digestive tube.

## Action steps

1. Occurs throughout the digestive tract, from esophagus to rectum.
2. Also occurs in the ureters and bile ducts.
3. Coordinated by the enteric nervous system.

## Sources

- [Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918)](https://www.bartleby.com/107/)

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