What describes a bezoar?

A bezoar is defined as a hard mass of entangled material that can form in the stomach or intestines. This accumulation is typically made up of undigested food, hair, or other foreign substances that the body is unable to break down. Bezoars can lead to various health issues, including obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract, which can result in pain, nausea, and vomiting. Understanding the nature of a bezoar is important in the medical field, as its diagnosis and treatment require knowledge of gastrointestinal health and the potential complications that can arise from such an obstruction.

The other options do not accurately describe what a bezoar is. For example, intestinal parasites refer to living organisms that can inhabit the gut, while an inflammation of the stomach lining pertains to a separate condition known as gastritis. A digestive enzyme deficiency focuses on the inadequate breakdown of food substances, which is also distinct from the formation of a hard mass in the digestive tract.