Digestion Essay

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The Detail Digestion Process & Body Absorbs of Nutrients
Digestion is the chemical breakdown of complex biological molecules into their component parts, i.e. lipids into fatty acids, proteins to individual amino acids, and carbohydrates into simple sugars. The functional objective is to produce various chemicals to break down the food, filter out harmful substances when possible, and get rid of solid wastes. The mechanical way the digestion works in order to change the physical form of the food is to chew, tear, grind, mash and mix. The chemical changes produced by digestion are supported by the aid of digestive enzymes and it modifies the composition of the food. The digestive enzymes are special proteins that help break up large molecules of food into very tiny molecules that can be absorbed and used by the cells in the form of nutrition. The phases of digestion are: ingestion, movement throughout the digestive tract, and final absorption. The digestive tract consists in long muscular tube with many sections …show more content…

It opens into the esophagus and it extents down to the stomach. It is the mechanism of swallowing which is a coordinated activity of the tongue, soft palate, pharynx and esophagus. It works in phases: (1) food is pushed into the pharynx by the tongue (almost as a voluntary process), then (2) the tongue blocks the mouth, (3) the soft palate closes off the nose, (4) the larynx (Adam’s Apple) rises so the Epiglottis (a flap of tissue) can close the opening trachea.
• Esophagus
A straight muscular tube that is about 10 inches (or 25cm) long and connects the mouth with the stomach. The food takes about 4 to 8 seconds as it passes through to the stomach. Its walls contain smooth muscles that contracts in wavy motion (in the so called Peristalsis). The Peristalsis propels food and liquid slowly down the esophagus into the stomach. Cardiac Sphincter (a ring-like valve) relaxes to allow food into the stomach.
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