Week 12
Activity 1
THE FOOD JOURNEY
by GEORGETTE E. ZALDIVAR
How the food changes consistency and form.
Food is one of the basic needs we cannot live without for a specific period of time. Hence, most humans continuously consume food on a regular basis. Consequently, the foods we eat go through a process in order for our body to absorb necessary nutrients and eliminate waste in a process called digestion. Additionally, as the foods undergo digestion, they also go through various consistencies and forms; food transitions from broadly sized bits to a semi-solid paste known as a chewed bolus, followed by a fluid-like consistency known as chyme.
Our digestive system includes an alimentary canal deliberately made to break down complex food into simpler forms. The physical and chemical digestive processes begin when the food enters the mouth and is then chewed in a process called mastication, where large chunks of food are broken into smaller pieces. The smaller bits then combine with the saliva, forming a bolus.
Furthermore, the bolus then moves down into the esophagus until it reaches the stomach, where the churning action takes place. During this churning action, the food is sheared into even smaller particles due to the chemical action brought about by the acids and enzymes in the stomach. During this process, the bolus turns into chyme, which then moves into the small intestine.
Various molecules, such as glucose, amino acids, nucleic acids, minerals, electrolytes, and vitamins are released from the food in the small intestines; the body eventually absorbs these molecules. Upon the absorption of said molecules and substances, the food ultimately turns into its solid form in the form of feces, which is then eliminated from the body.
How the body was able to absorb the nutrients from the foods we eat.
As mentioned in the answer to the previous question, the food we eat goes through the process of digestion, reaching the small intestines in the form of chyme. The mucosa of the small intestine features multiple folds that are covered in microscopic projections, or villi, that resemble fingers, which are covered by minute projections called microvilli. These structures generate a sizeable surface area that can be utilized for nutrient absorption. Ingested compounds can pass through the mucosa into the blood thanks to specialized cells, which then transport them to other parts of the body for storage or further chemical modifications.
The nutrients that were digested from the food consumed will eventually be absorbed, and more enzymatic digestion will help to increase the number of nutrients and minerals that are absorbed from the processed food component. Through active transport, diffusion, and pinocytosis between the gastrointestinal tract's submucosa layer and the blood, nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids are absorbed in the small intestine.
Essentially, nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine, and the blodblood circulatory system help transport nutrients, as well as oxygen, to all corresponding cells in the body through the bloodstream.
REFERENCES:
Douglas, M. J. C. (n.d.). What happens to the food you eat as it passes from your mouth to your intestine. Bartleby. Retrieved November 24, 2022, from https://www.bartleby.com/solution-answer/chapter-23-problem-1ilq-anatomy-and-physiology-1st-edition/9781938168130/by-clicking-on-this-link-httpopenstaxcollegeorglfooddigestion-you-can-watch-a-short-video/cad5bd3e-0e4c-11e9-9bb5-0ece094302b6
Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). (2010). How does the blood circulatory system work? National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279250/
Your Digestive System. (n.d.). Temple Health. https://www.templehealth.org/services/digestive-disease/patient-care/your-digestive-system