The<unk>  or<unk>  response is a physiological reflex that controls the motility, or peristalsis, of the gastrointestinal tract following a meal. It involves an increase in motility of the colon consisting primarily of giant migrating contractions, or migrating motor complexes, in response to stretch in the stomach following ingestion and byproducts of digestion entering the small intestine. Thus, this reflex is responsible for the urge to defecate following a meal. The small intestine also shows a similar motility response. The<unk> 's function in driving existing intestinal contents through the digestive system helps make way for ingested food. The reflex was demonstrated by myoelectric recordings in the colons of animals and humans, which showed an increase in electrical activity within as little as 15 minutes after eating. The recordings also demonstrated that the<unk>  is uneven in its distribution throughout the colon. The sigmoid colon is more greatly affected than the rest of the colon in terms of a phasic response, recurring periods of contraction followed by relaxation, in order to propel food distally into the rectum; however, the tonic response across the colon is uncertain. These contractions are generated by the muscularis externa stimulated by the myenteric plexus. When pressure within the rectum becomes increased, the<unk>  acts as a stimulus for defecation. A number of neuropeptides have been proposed as mediators of the<unk> . These include serotonin, neurotensin, cholecystokinin, prostaglandin E1, and gastrin.
Gastrocolic reflex
Abdominal reflex
Bulbocavernosus reflex
Diving reflex
Cremasteric reflex
Ciliospinal reflex
Axon reflex
Landau reflex