Question

Describe the process of the digestive system

Answer 1

Digestive system responsible for taking whole foods and turning them into energy and nutrients to allow the body to function, grow and repair itself. 6 activities of digestion are: Ingestion, propulsion, mechanical or physical digestion, chemical digestion, absorption and defecation.

Ingestion , the first process , which is the entry of food into the alimentary tract through the mouth.

Propulsion is the movement of food along the digestive tract. It is the peristalsis, a series of alternating contractions and relaxations of smooth muscle that lines the walls of digestive organs and forces food to move forward.

Mechanical digestion means physically breaking food into smaller pieces. It begins in the mouth as food is chewed.

Chemical digestion is breaking down the food into simpler nutrients which are used by the cells.

Absorption is the movement of nutrients, water and electrolytes from lumen of small intestine into the cell and then into the blood.

Defecation is the final act of digestion, by which organisms eliminate solid, semisolid or liquid wastes from the digestive tract via the anus.