1. How does the food change in consistency and form?
Food is changed first and foremost through mechanical digestion where the mouth, teeth, and tongue act together in the chewing process to reduce a whole food into very fine portions. Saliva also assists in the form change of food, softening it. When it reaches the stomach, it becomes chemically broken down before it goes into the intestines, finally reaching the rectum where it comes out of the anus as fecal matter.
2. How could the body absorb the nutrients from the foods we eat?
The body absorbs nutrients through the small intestine, which are lined with villi with cells that are lined with microvilli to increase surface area.