Here's a breakdown of the process:
1. Ingestion: This is the act of taking food into the mouth.
2. Mechanical Digestion: This involves physically breaking down food into smaller pieces. This occurs in the mouth (chewing) and stomach (churning).
3. Chemical Digestion: This involves breaking down food molecules using enzymes.
* Mouth: Salivary amylase breaks down carbohydrates.
* Stomach: Pepsin breaks down proteins, and gastric lipase breaks down fats.
* Small Intestine: The pancreas releases enzymes (amylase, protease, lipase) that further break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
4. Absorption: The broken-down nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream through the walls of the small intestine.
5. Elimination: Undigested waste products are eliminated from the body as feces.
In short, digestion is a complex process that transforms food into usable nutrients that our bodies can absorb and use for energy, growth, and repair.
