Food and The Digestive System

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Food is defined as a substance that can be metabolized by an organism to give energy and build tissue. The process of changing the food as the source of energy for human body is known as the digestive system. Digestive system is also important to take the food nutrient such as protein, vitamin, carbohydrate, minerals and so on. Human digestive system consists of two main digestion systems which are mechanical and chemical digestion. Human digestive system consists of seven crucial stages. The stages are mouth, pharynx and esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum and lastly, rectum (refer to Figure 1 in Appendix 1).
The first stage in the digestive system is mouth. Digestion of food begins with the action of chewing the food. The process of chewing refers to the breaking down the large size of the food particle into the smaller size. Chewing process becomes easier with the presence of teeth. During this process, saliva is produced. The saliva plays the role as the substance that helps to break down the chemical in the food gradually. Therefore, the chewed food can be in the form of more digestible by the body for further processes. Throughout this process, the tongue pushes the bolus to the back of the throat or the pharynx (Your digestive system, 2013). Bolus is the term used for the mushed-up food.
The next stages are the pharynx and esophagus. Pharynx is also known as the throat. It plays as the intermediate to transfer the bolus from the mouth to the esophagus or swallowing. The process occur in the pharynx is reflex but it is also under voluntary control (Johnson, 2012). As stated before, the tongue will push the bolus into the pharynx. At the same time, this action closes of the trachea. Then, the food w...

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...ate automatically. The defecation is depends of the individual feel to expel the feces. Late of defecation will lead to constipate that also will make the human feel not comfortable.

Works Cited

Campbell, N.A. (1946). Biology (4th ed.).California, US: The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, Inc.
Digestive system. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.innerbody.com/image/digeov.html
Diseases and Condition. (2009). Retrieved from http://my.clevelandclinic.org/anatomy/digestive_system/hic_the_structure_and_function_of_the_digestive_system.aspx
Dosh, S. A. (2002). Evaluation and treatment of constipation. The Journal of Family Practice, 555-560.
Johnson, K. (2012). Your digestive system. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/your-digestive-system?page=2
Your digestive system. (2013). Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/digestive_system.html#

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