What is the term for the involuntary muscle movements that push contents through the intestine?

Peristalsis is the term that accurately describes the involuntary muscle movements responsible for pushing contents through the intestine. This coordinated, wave-like contraction of the smooth muscle layers in the gastrointestinal tract facilitates the movement of food and waste products through the digestive system.

The concept of peristalsis is crucial in understanding how the digestive system functions, as it ensures that food is mixed with digestive enzymes and moved along the length of the tract, allowing for efficient digestion and absorption. This rhythmic contraction is distinct from other processes like contraction, which refers more generally to the process of muscles shortening, or digestion, which primarily involves the breakdown of food into its nutrient components. Absorption, on the other hand, specifically pertains to the uptake of these nutrients into the bloodstream, not the movement mechanism itself. Thus, peristalsis is the most precise term for the involuntary movements that propel intestinal contents.