1.How does the food change in consistency and form?
First, the food enters the body through the mouth or oral cavity. Here occurs the processes called chewing and hydrolysis where the food is broken down into smaller pieces. It then turn into a bolus, a sphere of digested food, as it combines with saliva. This passes through the esophagus that propels it to the stomach. In the stomach, here happens the churning and hydrolysis where the bolus is melted down into a more fluid type of substance called chyme. After this, it will be passed to the small intestine where it will be broken down into a semi-liquid form for absorption while the others remain stored. It will then travel to the large intestine and will form the feces that will be expelled by the body.
2.How could the body absorb the nutrients from the foods we eat?
The absorption of nutrients by the body from the foods we eat starts from the small intestine. The ileum, the last and longest portion of the small intestine, is lined with finger-like projections called villi. These are connected to the capillaries thus explains how the nutrients go into the bloodstream. Then, on the large intestine, substances like water, ions, and vitamin K are being absorbed.