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How the food changes consistency and form?
The food from the external environment begins digestion once placed inside the mouth. Mastication or chewing causes the food to break down into smaller pieces for easier digestion. Once the food mixes with our saliva, it is now called a bolus that looks like a semi-solid substance. The bolus can now be more accessible for an individual to swallow. It will pass through the esophagus and stomach, which contains gastric juices and enzymes that convert smaller bolus into chyme; it now looks like a thick semi-fluid substance. The chyme will travel to the intestines and anal canal and then be eliminated as feces with differing forms.
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How the body was able to absorb the nutrients from the foods we eat?
The human body contains more than a thousand substances that help with daily activities. In digestion, enzymes and acid are scattered along the alimentary canal. These substances located in the superior parts of the alimentary canal act for easier digestion of bolus. Once in the small intestine, the nutrients are absorbed and delivered to different tissues. Some microvilli maximize the absorption of these nutrients through glucose, vitamins, salts, amino acids, fatty acids, and glycerols. The liver also aids in the storage and release once needed of these nutrients.
Reference:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Your digestive system & how it works. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/digestive-system-how-it-works#:~:text=The%20small%20intestine%20absorbs%20most,intestinal%20lining%20into%20your%20bloodstream.