During what process does food travel down the esophagus?

The correct answer is peristalsis, which is the involuntary wave-like muscle contractions that move food down the esophagus from the throat to the stomach. This process is essential for the digestive system, as it ensures that food moves efficiently and smoothly through the esophagus.

Peristalsis involves coordinated contractions of the muscle layers in the walls of the esophagus. These contractions push the food bolus (the mass of chewed food) downward into the stomach. It is a crucial aspect of digestion, as without peristalsis, food would not be able to travel through the digestive tract effectively.

While dilation refers to the widening of a tube or vessel, and contraction refers to the tightening of muscles, neither specifically describes the coordinated movement of food. Diffusion, on the other hand, relates to the movement of substances from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration, which is not applicable in the context of moving food within a muscular tube like the esophagus. Thus, peristalsis is the process that accurately describes how food is propelled down the esophagus.