The Process of Digestion
Fajer Al-Suwilah
American University of Middle East
Outline
I. Introduction:
1. Have you ever wondered how you benefit from food?
2. The significant stages of the digestion process are ingestion, digestion and absorption.
II.Body:
A. Food is ingested.
1. Food enters the mouth.
2. Food is chewed.
3. Food moves to the stomach.
B.Food is digested.
1. Food is mixed with acidic gastric juices in the mouth.
2. The liquid food moves from the stomach to the small intestine.
3. Enzymes are excreted.
C.Absorption.
1. The digested food passes through the small intestine.
2. The bloodstream absorbs the digested food.
3. Unneeded food is disposed.
III. Conclusion:
The digestive process involves three major steps which are: (1) ingestion, (2) digestion and (3) absorption.
The Process of Digestion
Have you ever wondered how you benefit from food? Well, the digestion process is important to maintain the lives of creatures and to provide them with needed energy. Particular organs contribute in this process, such as, the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and intestines. These organs work together to operate and fulfill the required purpose of this complex process. Digestion is the process of breaking down the food from large molecules into small ones to make it easier for absorption (“A Process of Digestion”, 2001).
The Essay on Digestion/ Absorption and Homeostasis
... out by the digestive system through the process of digestion and absorption. Digestion is the process of turning food into usable sources of energy. During the ... to push the chyme toward the small intestine. The small intestine has two major functions; to break down food into smaller molecules and to absorb these ...
The significant stages of the digestive process are ingestion, digestion and absorption.
The first stage of the digestion process is the ingestion, which occurs in the mouth. The important parts of the mouth are the tongue, the teeth and the salivary glands. First of all, the food enters the mouth. Then the teeth chew it. The tongue rolls the food into balls called boluses. Salvia, which is secreted by the salivary glands, plays a significant role in breaking down the food into smaller pieces. An enzyme in the saliva called amylase begins to break down the carbohydrates into simple sugars (“Digestive System”, n.d.).
After that, these small pieces are swallowed by the tongue. Finally, they travel to the stomach by moving to the throat at the back of the mouth. In the throat, rings of muscles force the food down into the esophagus. The esophagus’s function is to move the food into the stomach.
The second stage of the digestion process begins in the stomach. The stomach is a large, hollow, pouched shaped muscular organ (“Digestive System”, n.d.).
When the chewed food attains the bottom of the esophagus, a valve permits the food to enter into the stomach. Then the contraction of the stomach wall mixes the food together. After that, acidic gastric juices, which are
secreted by the gastric glands in the stomach, help in mixing the food and in turning it into a partial liquid, so it will have the ability to move into the small intestine. Finally, in the small intestine, enzymes are secreted, and digestion is completed.
The last stage of the digestion process is absorption. Absorption takes place in the small and large intestine. The small intestine is a long, narrow tube running from the stomach to the large intestine (“Digestive System”, n.d.).
The Essay on Digestive Tracts Food Intestine Body
... the food and juice mixture into the small intestine, the juices of two other digestive organs mix with the food to continue the process of digestion. One ... and the pancreas, produce digestive juices that reach the intestine through small tubes. The digestive juices are used to turn swallowed food into a substance ...
It is full length is about six meters. The digested carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and most of the vitamins, minerals, and iron are absorbed in the small intestine. Small molecules of food are absorbed by the huge number of villi. The wall of the small intestine is lined with a small finger like projections called villi, which increases the absorption area of the intestine (“Digestive System”, n.d.).
Some of these absorbed molecules enter the bloodstream to be distributed throughout the whole body. The large intestine is wider and heavier than the small intestine. However, it is much shorter, only about one and a half meters long. The large intestine removes water from the waste products of digestion and returns some of it to the bloodstream. Unneeded food is disposed by the large intestine. Fecal matter contains undigested food, bacteria, and cells from the walls of the digestive tract.
In conclusion, the digestive process consists of three major steps which are: (1) ingestion, (2) digestion and (3) absorption. Ingestion occurs in the mouth, and it helps to increase the surface of the food particles and prepares them for digestion (“ A Process of Digestion”, 2001).
In the stomach, digestion begins, and it continues until it arrives to the small intestine, where absorption takes place. The large intestine disposes the body from unneeded food. The digestive process
maintains organisms’ lives by providing them with energy needed for different functions (“ A Process of Digestion”, 2001).
References
Barstow.edu. (n.d) Retrieved March 30th, 2010 from
Digestive.niddk.nih.gov. (n.d) Retrieved March 29th, 2010 from http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/yrdd/
Philips, T. (2005).
Skills in English. United Kingdom: Garnet Publishing Ltd.
Scienceclarified.com. (n.d) Retrieved March 30th, 2010 from
Allfreeessay.com.(2001) Retrieved March 30th, 2010 from http://www.allfreeessay.com/essay/Process-Essay/22745.html
