After someone eats a hamburger with the works, they do not really think of what nutrients are in that hamburger, what the body does to get those nutrients out of the food, or even what process is used, they just think of how good it tasted. To get all the nutrients out of the food the human body uses processes called absorption and digestion. Some of the processes of digestion are mechanical and chemical; these are the step before the food is absorbed into the body.
The first step of digestion is mechanical digestion. Mechanical digestion starts in the mouth. The food is chewed by the action of the jaw moving up and down where the food is crushed and broken up into smaller pieces. Saliva is produced in the mouth also to help break the food down. Saliva is part of chemical digestion. The food is broken up into smaller pieces so that the food can be passed down the oesophagus into the stomach. A form of mechanical digestion in the stomach is when the food has entered the stomach, the stomach contracts and makes wave like movements. The stomach does this to mix the gastric juice inside the stomach with the food. When food enters the stomach chemical digestion mainly takes place.
The second step of digestion is chemical digestion. Chemical digestion first takes place inside the mouth and then takes place in the stomach. Chemical digestion involves in a liquid that is acidic. The first part of chemical digestion is in the mouth, this liquid is called saliva. Saliva is a clear type liquid; this liquid is thicker than water. Saliva is produced in the mouth by salivary glands. Saliva has a medium pH level (6-7), so it is slightly acidic so it does not digest the food into smaller atoms as much as the stomach. When the food goes down the oesophagus to the stomach, saliva is used as a lubricant to help the food slide down the tube. Once the food has reached the stomach the food gets chemical digested by gastric juice. Gastric juice is made up of hydrochloric acid, mucus and digestive enzymes. Hydrochloric acid has a low pH level (1-3); this means that the acid is highly acidic. Hydrochloric acid breaks the food down into smaller pieces so that the digestive enzymes can break the food into even smaller parts. The digestive enzyme called amylase breaks down the carbohydrates up so the body can absorb them. The lipase enzyme breaks down lipids so the body can absorb them. The protease enzyme breaks down proteins so the body can absorb them. Once the food has been digested in the stomach the food heads towards the small intestine. In the small and large intestine it has a high pH level, therefore it is not really acidic, this means that there is a bit of a chemical reaction in the stomach. The food needs to broken up into small pieces so that they can be absorbed.
Absorption takes place in the small intestine and the large intestine. It mostly takes place in the small intestine. On the wall of the intestine there is villus. Villus is finger like shaped objects which line the wall of the small intestine. The villus are the small objects which collect the small atoms that are travelling through the intestines and then absorb them into the blood stream, so that the proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids can be carried various parts of the body. The small particles are absorbed by the villus when the food hits the goblet cell. The goblet cell then passes the atoms into the capillaries where it gets absorbed by the blood cells. Then the blood takes the particles around the body. The left over particles which do not get absorbed by the villus enters the large intestine and makes a slimy substance; this substance is not needed in the body, so the body disposes it as soon as it can.
The body goes through a long process to get the nutrients it needs into the blood stream to be used throughout the body. Digestion and absorption are the processes that the body goes through to get the nutrients out of food and to where it is needed.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
The beginning of the digestive process starts with the smell and sight of food which activate the salivary glands. The mouth is the point at which food enters the digestive tract and continues the digestive process by chewing food. The food is then broken down into pieces and moistened by salivary glands which turn food into a bolus. The bolus goes down the pharynx into the esophagus which connects the pharynx to the stomach. The stomach is an organ that mixes food and secretes gastric juice. The bolus, once in the stomach, is mixed into a semiliquid mass called chime. The stomach is close together with the liver and pancreas but does not get assistance from these organs. The chime then enters…
- 251 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
When a human sees or smells food the salivary glands are the first thing to react in the digestive system. Once the food is placed into the mouth, it is then taken over by the teeth, tongue, and saliva. These three are what help make the food moist and small enough to be swallowed. At this point the food then becomes what is called bolus. The bolus is then traveled through the pharynx then esophagus, and into the stomach. When the food travels through the pharynx, the epiglottis makes sure that the food paces by the without interring the lungs. Once the bolus enters the stomach, it is then broken down even further by the acids within the stomach. The bolus becomes a little more digested before leaving the stomach. Once the food is at this stage, it is then called Chyme. Chyme is a semiliquid food. It normally leaves the stomach within two to six hours. The small intestine is what does most of the digesting and takes the nutrients from the food. It has help from the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. The small intestine is made up of three parts, these parts are called, the jejunum, the ileum, and the duodenum. Anything that is not taken for nutrients in the small intestine goes to the large intestine. At this time it travels through what is called the sphincter. The sphincter prevents any of the food to go back into the small…
- 483 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
11. The body uses food to absorb the nutrients needed for the cells and tissues in our bodies. Water is used for chemical reactions, carbohydrates are sugars used for energy, fats are used for insulation and proteins are used for growth and repair.…
- 896 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
The gastrointestinal tract starts with the mouth, which leads to the gullet via the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and ends at the anus. In due course of the journey, the ingested food is broken down by both physical and chemical means to release nutrients which are absorbed into the blood stream. The ingested food is physically broken down in the mouth by chewing so as to reduce its size for increased surface area over which enzymatic reaction will take place. Enzymatic reaction is known as digestion and this is defined as the chemical breakdown of the ingested complex food molecules by the action of biological enzymes, into simplest form that can be absorbed into the blood stream and assimilated into living cells. In human beings, various components of the ingested food are digested and absorbed at various sections of the alimentary canal .…
- 1938 Words
- 8 Pages
Better Essays -
We all love to eat. I remember my parents used to tell me that in order for my food to digest properly, I would have to chew it one hundred times on both side to make it small as possible. They said that if the food was smaller it could digest quicker and easier. But most people do not know what happens to their food after they have chewed it up and swallowed it. Some may think that right after the food is swallowed, it goes straight to the stomach. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the path food follows as it goes through the digestive system.…
- 689 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Digestion is a chemical process whereby food substances are broken down into soluble unit and absorbed in the blood stream by a process known as assimilation. The digestive system is made of different tract as seen in figure 1.2. All these parts help in the digestion of food.…
- 1855 Words
- 8 Pages
Powerful Essays -
The Digestive System is the name given to the sequential process that our bodies perform when ingesting food, and the breaking down of macromolecules into micromolecules so that the body can absorb it’s nutrients into the bloodstream and it’s cellular system to obtain energy for cellular respiration, and the excretion all indigestible waste products. This happens within the digestive tract, which starts at the Mouth or Oral cavity and ends at the Anus. (Reference Appended image 1,’ The Human digestive system and associated organs). The molecules of food that we eat are generally Polymers, i.e., large, complex Molecules that are composed of long chains of Monomers. Polymers are insoluble and therefore cannot be absorbed into our bloodstream and need to be assimilated into different absorptive products. Polymers have to be hydrolysed into smaller, soluble molecules. This process happens during the process of digestion. Food is broken down by mechanical or chemical means (Hydrolysis) and this process is aided by Enzymes. Enzymes are biological, process catalysing Proteins which massively speed up the breaking down of compound molecules into micromolecules to allow nutritional absorption. All digestive Enzymes are Hydrolytic, i.e., a water molecule is added to allow compound molecular breakdown and separation. All Enzymes have a unique shape to their ‘active site’ allowing only the target substrate to bond for biological processing. Enzymes have optimum operating requirements and can denature if the temperature becomes too warm or the environment too acidic or alkaline. Digestive Enzyme secretion is regulated by both the nervous and the hormonal systems. Hormones are a chemical substance signalling system that communicates from one set of cells to another set, the target cells, which will then trigger enzyme secretion.…
- 1910 Words
- 8 Pages
Better Essays -
A burger is broken down mechanically by biting into it. The food in the mouth sets off salivary glands that secrete salivary amylase, which breaks down amylase in the burger. When the food is broken down enough, the tongue shapes the food in a bolus, or a ball. The bolus is pushed back to the pharynx at the back of the throat. The food stimulates the opening of the flap so the good goes down the esophagus, rather than the windpipe. Because of peristalsis, rhythmic waves created by muscles in the throat, the food slides easily down the digestive tract. Salivary amylase continues to break down the starch all the way down the esophagus.…
- 362 Words
- 1 Page
Good Essays -
During his or her lifetime, the average person eats his/her way through at least 20 tons of food. Meats, vegetables or sweets - whatever your diet, that’s 40,000 pounds! Our digestive system works to turn this enormous amount of food into substances that the body can use for energy and for growth and repair. But what actually happens to these foods once they enter our bodies? How does the body process each tasty bite and harness the power locked in the food?…
- 1178 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
The absorbed substances are then moved through the blood vessels to different organs of the body where they are used to build complex substances, such as the proteins required by our body. The food that remains undigested and unabsorbed passes into the large intestine where very small amounts of nutrients are absorbed. The food then exits your body through the rectum or anus.…
- 678 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Digestion is important for breaking down food into nutrients which the body uses for energy, growth and cell repair. When I am chowing down my steak and potatoes, my digestive system is doing that exact thing. Our digestive system breaks down food into smaller molecules and into nutrients for the body. These nutrients include carbohydrates, protein, fat and vitamins.…
- 471 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
The process of digestion has many stages with the first starting in the oral cavity. Within the system, food passes through a tube called the alimentary canal, more commonly known as the gastrointestinal tract. The tract is made up of the oral cavity, pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, small intestines, and large intestines. To provide energy and nutrients to the body, major functions take place in the digestive system which include; ingestion, secretion, mixing and movement, digestion, absorption and excretion.…
- 552 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The digestive system consists of seven parts in digesting food. The first part in digestive system starts in your mouth. (In the digestive process starts even before you even start to eat.) (www.gesa.com) (When you smell the aroma of the food your brain sends a signal to your brain, then that signal goes to your mouth that puts your saliva glands into work producing the saliva that helps break down the food you chew.) (www.gesa.com) The time food enters into your mouth the saliva instantly starts breaking down the food particles. To make the food easier to digest your teeth help make the food particles smaller and easier to swallow, and for better absorption.…
- 1303 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
This process of altering the chemical and physical composition of food so that it can be absorbed and used by body cells is known as digestion, and it is the function of the digestive system…
- 5068 Words
- 21 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Digestion begins in the mouth. A brain reflex triggers the flow of saliva when we see or even think of food. Saliva moistens the food while the teeth chew it up and make it easier to swallow. Amylase, which is the digestive enzyme, found in saliva, starts to break down starch into simpler sugars before the food even leave the mouth. The nervous pathway involved in salivary excretion requires stimulation of receptors in the mouth, sensory impulses to the brain stem and parasympathetic impulses to salivary glands. Swallowing his food happens when the muscles in his tongue and mouth move the food into his pharynx. The pharynx, which is the passage way for food and air, a small flap of skin called the epiglottis closes over the pharynx to prevent food from entering the trachea and causing choking. For swallowing to happen correctly a combination of 25 muscles must all work together at the same time. After being chewed and swallowed the food enters the esophagus or gullet is the muscular tube in vertebrates through which ingested food passes from the throat to the stomach. It connects the pharynx, which is the body cavity that is common to both the digestive and respiratory systems behind the mouth, with the stomach, where the second stage of digestion is initiated. The esophagus is a long tube that runs from the mouth to the stomach. It uses rhythmic wave like muscle movements called peristalsis to force food from the throat into the…
- 1364 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays