What is the difference between peristalsis and segmentation?

Answer 1

They are both a type of mechanical digestion that is involved in the gastrointestinal tract.

Peristalsis is the slow and gradual movement of food through the digestive system. The food is crushed and propelled in one direction as smooth muscle contracts and forces the food along the gastrointestinal tract.

Peristalsis is not to churn, but to slowly move food along towards the large intestine, however, segmentation is the local mixing of food with enzymes and intestinal juices (from pancreas etc). Therefore the food is mixed and and exposed to absorptive cells as it moves along.

Answer 2

The difference between these two, lie in how the intestinal track works. Normally the intestine moves food by something called Peristalsis and segmentation as defined below:

Peristalsis : Peristalsis is a series of organized muscle contractions that occur throughout the digestive tract. Namely in the esophagous and small intestine

On the othe hand, segmentation motility* (*a fancy word for mobility) is a special movement of the small intestine to mix its contents by special contractions of these muscles.

In other words, peristalsis deals with propulsion while segmetation deals with mixing of food found in the digestive system.

P.S: I teach Science at a High School level.