Process of Digestion
Amy Wallace
EN 101
February 27, 2013
Miller-Motte Technical College
PROCESS OF DIGESTION 2
Digestion is an important process needed for maintaining and providing energy to living organisms. Throughout the digestion process, food is broken down into small molecules, where it can be absorbed easily. There are many organs that aid in this complex task. Ingestion, digestion, and absorption are the three necessary steps of the digestive process. First, food is ingested. Ingestion takes place in the mouth. Once food enters the mouth, teeth chew it. The salivary glands produce saliva, which is mixed with food while chewing. Saliva helps break the food into smaller pieces. These small pieces travel down the esophagus to the stomach after being swallowed. Next, is the location where digestion starts, the stomach. Food enters the stomach through a valve after the chewed food passes the bottom of the esophagus. Gastric glands in the stomach produce acidic gastric juices. As the stomach wall contracts, these juices help to mix the food and make a partial liquid. Once this liquid mixture forms, it moves into the small intestine. After entering the small intestine, enzymes are added and digestion is near completion. Lastly, absorption is the final step in the digestion process. The small intestine is where absorption takes place. A huge number of villi line the small intestine. These tiny villi are finger like bumps and they absorb some of the small molecules of food. The bloodstream then picks up the molecules from the villi and places them throughout the whole body. Digestion is completed in the small intestine. In conclusion, the three necessary steps for the digestive process are ingestion, digestion, and absorption. Ingestion begins in the mouth in order to, prepare food particles for digestion.
PROCESS OF DIGESTION 3
The stomach is the place where digestion begins and it continues to the small intestine, where absorption takes place and ends the process. The digestive system works very hard to utilize nutrients however, this system is able to complete the digestion process with maximum ease.
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