  The pharynx of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a neuromuscular pump
that exhibits two typical motions: pumping and peristalsis. While the dynamics
of these motions are well characterized, the underlying mechanisms generating
most of them are not known. In this paper, we propose comprehensive and
detailed mechanisms that can explain the various observed dynamics of the
different pharyngeal areas: the dynamics of the pumping muscles - corpus,
anterior isthmus, and terminal bulb - and the peristalsis dynamics of the
posterior isthmus muscles. While the suggested mechanisms are consistent with
all available relevant data, the assumptions on which they are based and the
open questions they raise could point at additional interesting research
directions on the C. elegans pharynx. We are hoping that appropriate
experiments on the nematode will eventually corroborate our results, and
improve our understanding of the functioning of the C. elegans pharynx, and
possibly of the mammalian digestive system.
