The longitudinal movement and circular mixing of luminal contents in the gastrointestinal tract are essential for efficient digestion and absorption.
Mobility occurs by either muscular motility or ciliary motility .
Muscular motility is transport achieved by muscle contractions of the walls of the alimentary canal . Ciliary motility is the translocation along the alimentary canal by the brush border to generate fluid flow . While many of the motions of the headgut are voluntary, most are reflex behavior. Chewing or mastication of the food clearly breaks the food into smaller pieces and lubricates by mixing it with saliva. These actions allow the food to be more easily swallowed and mixed with digestive secretions in the stomach.