ACTIVITY 1
1. How does the food change in consistency and form?
- Ingestion: As soon as the food is chewed and swallowed, the tongue and teeth begin the process of digestion. Grain gets coated with saliva, which lubricates it and triggers the start of chemical digestion. The digestive system starts with this step.
- Propulsion: the only two voluntary functions of the digestive system are the ability to swallow and defecate.
- Peristalsis: This is an involuntary movement within the digestive system. In order to move the grain through the organs and then from one organ to the next, smooth muscle throughout the digestive tract contracts and relaxes.
- Mechanical digestion: Food is broken down into smaller pieces via mechanical digestion. Food being chewed by teeth is a good illustration of this. Food's surface area is increased as a result, hastening the chemical breakdown process.
- Chemical digestion: The food molecules undergo changes throughout this process. Food is broken down into its most basic components by enzymes and other substances, which the body then absorbs and uses for biological processes. The salivary glands in the mouth are responsible for the start of chemical digestion.
- Absorption: The small intestine is where this process mostly takes place. The body uses the nutrients that are absorbed into the bloodstream by the microvilli in the small intestine. Other sites of absorption include the stomach's capacity to absorb alcohol and simple carbohydrates.
- Defecation: The stool is sent into the big intestine once the body has absorbed all of the nutrients from the grain. In the large intestine, where the majority of the water is absorbed, waste materials from the body, including dead blood cells, are combined with dietary waste to make feces.
2. How could the body absorb the nutrients from the food we eat?
- In the small intestine, where enzymes convert complex compounds into simpler forms, most nutritional absorption occurs. Following absorption via the intestinal walls, nutrients like proteins, lipids, and carbs are transferred into the bloodstream. The body uses these nutrients for energy, growth, and maintenance of vital physiological processes. After they are absorbed, they are delivered to different cells and tissues through the circulatory system.
References:
Digestive system | function, Organs & processes | study.com. (n.d.-a). https://study.com/academy/lesson/digestive-system-functions-processes.html
Tortora, G. J., & Derrickson, B. H. (2017). Tortora’s Principles of Anatomy & Physiology. Wiley