How can the exec function in PHP be utilized to call a bash script and process its output without the need for intermediate file handling?

When using the `exec` function in PHP to call a bash script and process its output, you can utilize the backtick operator (``) to capture the output directly into a variable without the need for intermediate file handling. This allows you to easily access and manipulate the output within your PHP script.

$output = `bash your_script.sh`;
echo $output;