...Let’s follow the path of a delicious ham and cheese sandwich with lettuce and pickles as it is eaten and digested! Start at the beginning and discuss the anatomical parts as well as the biochemical roles that contribute to this sandwich being turned into chemical energy. Be sure to include mechanical and chemical mechanisms, along with how they are metabolized in the body! Digestion is the chemical breakdown of food molecules into smaller molecules that can be used by various cells within the body. The breakdown is initiated when food is ingested in the mouth and specific enzymes are exposed to components within the food molecules. Digestion begins in the mouth with mastication, or chewing, performed by the teeth. The purpose of chewing is to grant the food more exposure to enzymes, therefore allowing chemical digestion to occur faster. The presence of the food in the mouth stimulates exocrine glands. This causes the mouth to secrete digestive enzymes, namely salivary amylase. These secreted enzymes aid in the breakdown of foods, officially starting the digestion process. Carbohydrates in particular are mostly broken down by salivary amylase. Salivary amylase breaks starch, a popular carb, down to maltose. This means that the bread of the ham and cheese sandwich will notably be chemically altered at this point. It is because of this that bread begins to taste somewhat sweet if it is held in the mouth for some time. Muncins, or mucous, found within saliva help hold the food...
Words: 1873 - Pages: 8
...Human Digestion Summary SCI/241 December 6, 2014 Human Digestion Summary Digestion is the action in which the body breaks down food into molecules that can be used for substance to nourish the body. There are different organs in the body that are involved in the digestion process. These organs include; the mouth, the esophagus, the stomach, small intestines, liver and large intestine. Each one of these organs plays a significant you in the body’s digestion process (Shifko, 2014). The digestion process starts before the food actually enters the mouth. The smells that are inhaled from the food cause the mouth to produce saliva, which contains the compounds and enzymes that start to break down the food after it has entered the mouth. The food is then chewed down in to small particles so that the saliva and the enzymes can go to work. After the food is chewed it is then swallowed and starts to pass down the esophagus. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the esophagus is a muscular tube that transports the food that has been chewed to the stomach. In order for the food to be carried down the esophagus and to the stomach there are a series of contractions performed by the esophagus, this process is known as the peristalsis (Shifko, 2014). Once in the stomach, there are two different functions that must take place during the digestion process. The stomach resembles a large pouch with muscular walls. The wall of the stomach is where the food is held and it also acts...
Words: 958 - Pages: 4
...Human Digestion Your Name Here SCI/241 July XX, 20XX Your Instructor Here Human Digestion In human digestion all food enters the body by way of the mouth. The mouth is responsible for chewing the food into a softer consistency before it enters the stomach. Before you even take the first bite of food the salivary glands begin to produce saliva. The chewed food mixes with the saliva to form what is known as a bolus. This bolus is then pushed into the pharynx by the tongue and swallowed. The epiglottis, a flap to keep food from entering the lungs, closes and the food moves into the stomach by way of the esophagus. Once the bolus enters the stomach it is then mixed with stomach acid. The stomach acid reduces the bolus to a further liquefied food mass that is known as chyme. It takes anywhere from 2 to 6 hours for the chyme to be completely emptied from the stomach and into the small intestine. Once the chyme enters the small intestine, the biggest portion of digestion takes place. This is where nutrients are actually absorbed into the body. There are three parts to the small intestine, the duodenum, jejunum, and the ileum. This is where secretions from the gallbladder, liver and pancreas help to break down food. Anything that is not absorbed into the body then enters into the large intestine. The large intestine is also the location of the colon and rectum. Food that enters into the large intestine is usually drained of what water is left in it along with vitamins and minerals...
Words: 326 - Pages: 2
...Human Digestion The human body goes through many stages in order to fully digest food. The amount of time it takes to digest food varies from person to person. it also depends on many factors, including its fat and protein content, the degree of muscle action of the emptying stomach and the next organ the stomach contents with pass through. The entire process can take from 24 to 72 hours to complete. Foods that contain high amounts of fiber and probiotics helps to promote the digestion process. For example, papaya, pineapple, avocado and chili peppers all aide in digestion. Digestion occurs differently depending on the part of the food is in. Digestion first begins in the mouth. Once food enters the mouth, saliva is activated from the salivary glands. Saliva helps by moistening food, breaking down molecules, and it helps to prevent tooth decay. Then, the chewing begins. In addition to saliva, it helps to mix the food around and break them into smaller pieces so swallowing is easier p(g. 71, 2012). In the stomach, food is mixed together by acidic stomach secretions in order to form a liquid-like food mass that is also known as chyme. Thanks to gastric juice , most of the bacteria in your food is killed and protein be digested. Some substances are digested while in the stomach, but there aren't many substances that can be absorbed in this part of the body (pg. 73, 2012). The digestion process in the small intestine takes place...
Words: 431 - Pages: 2
...SCI 241 Human Digestion University of Phoenix (Axia) Janelle Brown What is the digestive System? “Every morsel of food we eat has to be broken down into nutrients that can be absorbed by the body, which is why it takes hours to fully digest food. In humans, protein must be broken down into amino acids, starches into simple sugars, and fats into fatty acids and glycerol. The water in our food and drink is also absorbed into the bloodstream to provide the body with the fluid it needs. The digestive system is made up of the alimentary canal and the other abdominal organs that play a part in digestion, such as the liver and pancreas. The alimentary canal (also called the digestive tract) is the long tube of organs — including the esophagus, the stomach, and the intestines — that runs from the mouth to the anus. An adult's digestive tract is about 30 feet long”. (www.kidshealth.org) In other words the Digestive System prepares food for use by all the body cells. The digestive process begins the mouth by chewing the food which is just a partial breakdown of the food. After the food is chewed and swallowed the food goes into the esophagus which is a tube that connects the mouth to the stomach making wave-like muscle movements to help get the food down into the stomach. The stomach then churns the food and submerges it in an acid called gastric acid; when the food gets to the stomach it is only partially digested and mixed with chime which is a stomach acid. When the food leaves...
Words: 333 - Pages: 2
...Assignment: Human Digestion Summary Suehaydee Figueroa SCI/241 NUTRITION Professor Tiera Pack Lawyer March 21, 2013 The human digestive system is a complex series of organs and glands that processes food. In order to use the food we eat, our body has to break the food down into smaller molecules that it can process; it also has to excrete waste. Most of the digestive organs (like the stomach and intestines) are tube-like and contain the food as it makes its way through the body. The digestive system is essentially a long, twisting tube that runs from the mouth to the anus, plus a few other organs (like the liver and pancreas) that produce or store digestive chemicals. The start of the process starts with the mouth. The digestive process begins in the mouth. Food is partly broken down by the process of chewing and by the chemical action of salivary enzymes. These enzymes are produced by the salivary glands and break down starches into smaller molecules. On the way to the stomach: the esophagus - After being chewed and swallowed, the food enters the esophagus. The esophagus is a long tube that runs from the mouth to the stomach. It uses rhythmic, wave-like muscle movements (called peristalsis) to force food from the throat into the stomach. This muscle movement gives us the ability to eat or drink even when we're upside-down. In the stomach - The stomach is a large, sack-like organ that churns the...
Words: 1453 - Pages: 6
...Digestion is the process of turning the food you eat into nutrients, which the body uses for energy, growth and cell repair needed to survive. Food and drinks have to be changed from large insoluble molecules into smaller insoluble molecules before the blood absorbs them and carries them to cells throughout the body. An example of a large insoluble molecule into a small insoluble molecule, is starch which is broken down into glucose. The body breaks down the nutrients from foods and drinks into carbohydrates, fats, proteins and vitamins. The digestion process starts from the mouth when you take a bite of food. This part of digestion is called mechanical digestion. Mechanical digestion is the process of breaking down food so that they can be...
Words: 1146 - Pages: 5
...HUMAN DIGESTION By Amanda Boerste SCI/241 Madhuri Vemuri Digestion is the complex process of turning the food you eat into the energy you need to survive. The digestion process also involves creating waste to be eliminated. The digestive tract (or gut) is a long twisting tube that starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. It is made up of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food and other cells that produce enzymes and hormones to aid in the breakdown of food. Along the way are three other organs that are needed for digestion: the liver, gallbladder, and the pancreas. The oral cavity both physical and chemical digestion takes place in the mouth. Saliva is secreted to moisten food, protect the mouth from abrasions, buffer against acids in food, kill some forms of bacteria, and begin carbohydrate digestion with the enzyme salivary amylase. Tongue is used for taste, manipulates food while chewing and prepares food for swallowing by forming it into a ball. Pharynx is commonly called the throat. The intersection of the glottis and opening to the esophagus (gullet) is found here. The epiglottis is a flap that closes the glottis when the act of swallowing occurs. Esophagus connects the pharynx with the stomach. Peristalsis, wave-like contractions of the smooth muscles push food down toward the stomach. Connects with the stomach at the cardiac sphincter. The stomach is a J shaped expandable organ located on the left side of the abdominal...
Words: 832 - Pages: 4
...Human Digestion Kathy Acosta SCI/241 Axia College of University of Phoenix September 16, 2010 Emily Wong-Swartz [pic] http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.fabioruini.eu/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/understanding-digestion.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.fabioruini.eu/blog/2007/06/&h=428&w=357&sz=71&tbnid=wqlDvSZfuxkdUM:&tbnh=246&tbnw=205&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpicture%2Bof%2Bdigestion&zoom=1&q=picture+of+digestion&usg=__xMGasEMTyU8TduXOS3k5N7PL9h4=&sa=X&ei=AOKSTObgHo74nAfj9a3aCA&ved=0CBkQ9QEwAA The path food follows through the digestive system is the human digestive system is a complex series of organs and glands, which processes food. It begins with the mouth, teeth, tongue, pharynx, epiglottis, and esophagus this happens before the food goes into the stomach. Once the bolus reaches the stomach, it is mixed with acid secretions to transform the bolus into chime, a semi-liquid food mass. Then it travels through the small intestine, large intestine, and anus. Large Intestine Portion of gastrointestinal tract, which includes the colon and rectum, in which some absorption of water and vitamins take place. Mouth With this the food begins, the point at, which food enters the digestive tract. Small Intestine Tube-shaped organ of the digestive tract where digestion of ingested food is completed and the majority of nutrient absorption occur. Stomach This is the organ in the digestive tract, in which mixes food and secretes...
Words: 368 - Pages: 2
...The food first begins the digestion process in the mouth. What the mouth does is use the teeth to masticate the food. Then it travels into the pharynx where the food is ingested. After this process occurs then the food is known as bolus. The bolus travels from the pharynx into the esophagus. The esophagus linked to the stomach. The bolus then is joined together with acid so that it can begin to be broken down from a solid into a more liquid state. This process can last anywhere from two to six hours. The process in the stomach can be helped by the following organs liver, gallbladder and pancreas. The organs release bile to make the process go by quicker. After this occurs it is then called chime and travels in to the small intestine where the major part of digestion happens. In the small intestine the nutrients from the food begin to absorb. This is an important process because the body uses the nutrients to function properly. What is left over after the absorption process happens will then descend into the large intestine. The large intestine also absorbs nutrients that the small intestine has forgotten. The colon that is linked to the large intestine will finish off the job. Whatever is left after that then becomes fecal matter and then will be removed from the body. How it is removed is through the anus. References: Grosvenor, M. B., & Smolin, L. A. (2006). Nutrition: Everyday choices. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley &...
Words: 254 - Pages: 2
...Human Digestion The salivary glands start the digestive process at the sight and smell of food. Once the food goes into the mouth it is moistened by saliva and broken down by our teeth. You are able to start swallowing by choice, but once the swallow begins, it becomes involuntary and proceeds under the control of the nerves. The food is then turned into a bolus. A bolus is a roundish lump, especially chewed food. Next the food is moved to the pharynx then to the esophagus which transports the food from the mouth to the stomach. Once the food reaches your stomach and it is broken down by acid. This acid is used to convert the food into chyme. Chyme is a fluid used to help the food pass from the stomach into the small intestine. Once the food has reached the small intestine nutrients from the food you have eaten are absorbed by the blood. The small intestine is broken into three parts duodenum, jejunum and the ileum. After passing through the small intestine food passes into the large intestine. The large intestine removes some of the water and electrolytes, such as sodium from the food. The large intestines main role is to eliminate water from the undigested matter and solid waste that can be excreted. The colon and rectum are also located in the large intestine and the remaining solid waste goes out of the body through the anus. Teen health. (). Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/body_basics/digestive_system.html# (National Digestive Diseases...
Words: 273 - Pages: 2
...What specifically is the role of an enzyme in digestion? Enzymes are working proteins that facilitate chemical reactions without being changed in the process. Organs of the digestive system excrete digestive juices, which contain enzymes that break the bonds of nutrients that can be absorbed. 2. Trace the path of a cheeseburger and fries through the digestive tract. Indicate each place where mechanical digestion, chemical digestion, and absorption occurs FOR EACH NUTRIENT (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins). Be sure to fully explain the role of EACH organ involved (including the pancreas, liver, and gallbladder). In the mouth – food is crushed and chewed by teeth (mechanical digestion) and moistened with saliva. The carbohydrate-digesting enzyme of saliva begins to break down the starch (chemical digestion) of the hamburger buns and fries to sugars. When swallowing, the tongue forces the food mass into the back of the mouth and the food moves through the esophagus to the stomach by peristalsis. In the stomach – Food collects in the upper area of stomach where is it mixed and mashed (mechanical digestion) and starch continues to be digested until cells in the stomach release a strong acid mixture of gastric juice, water, HCl and enzymes to initiate protein digestion from bread and meat (chemical digestion), creating chyme. Peristalsis also aids in moving the chyme from the stomach to the small intestine (mechanical digestion). Fat follows quickly behind. In the small intestine...
Words: 887 - Pages: 4
...Checkpoint: Human Digestion Dwayne Johnson The process digestion begins when food is taken into the mouth, moistened by saliva, chewed, and transformed into a bolus; passes in to the pharynx where it is swallowed and enters the esophagus; the pharynx connects to the esophagus and the esophagus connects to the stomach. The bolus passes through the esophagus and enters the stomach; mixed with acid secretions and transformed into chyme; food is partially digested in the stomach; chyme usually empties the stomach in two to six hours. The majority of digestion and nutrient absorption takes place in the small intestine; the liver, pancreas and gallbladder are located near t the stomach and contribute to the digestion process; secretion of bile from the liver and gallbladder helps with digestion and absorption of fat, while digestive enzymes and bicarbonates secreted from the pancreas helps the digestive process. Then it into the large intestine through the sphincter, additional absorption of water and some vitamins and minerals occur in the colon. Materials not absorbed in the colon or excreted from the body as waste products in the feces through the anus. The mouth an external opening of the digestive tract includes, teeth, tongue, saliva glands, and epiglottis The small intestine, a very long tube, divided into three parts, the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Its lining is very large and contains folds (villi) finger like projections which contains a tiny lymphatic vessel (lacteal) ...
Words: 312 - Pages: 2
...The sight and smell of food begins the digestion process with the salivary glands. Once food enters the mouth it is moistened by the saliva and grounded down by the teeth. The food transforms into a bolus. The bolus leaves the mouth and moves into the pharynx, where it is swallowed. The bolus moves from the pharynx to the esophagus, which moves the food to the stomach (University of Phoenix and Axia College, n.d.). The stomach is an organ in the digestive tract that mixes food and secretes gastric juices. Once the bolus reaches the stomach, it mixes with the acid secretions to transform into chime, a semi liquid food mass. Food is partially digested in the stomach, and chime empties from the stomach in two to six hours, depending on the size and type of meal ingested (University of Phoenix and Axia College, n.d.). After chime leaves the stomach it enters into the small intestine, which is divided into three parts known as the duodenum, the jejunum, and the ileum. Here the majority of digestion and absorption of nutrients from food takes place. Once food is in the small intestine, bile from the liver and gallbladder help with the digestion and absorption of fat, while enzymes and bicarbonate from the pancreas aid in the digestive process (University of Phoenix and Axia College, n.d.). Materials not absorbed in the small intestine enter the large intestine through the sphincter. The sphincter keeps material from the large intestine from re-entering the small intestine...
Words: 349 - Pages: 2
...The Process of Digestion Over the course of time there have been many difficult questions and theories about everyday life. Using physiology & chemistry, those questions have been able to be answered. From the mixture of gases in the air we breathe to the organic substance of plastic or paper, chemistry can be seen everywhere. However, most people mistook the power of chemistry in our own bodies. How is it that a simple slice of bread, once consumed, can turn into fuel for the human body? Using the digestive system and its many organs through the process of digestion and metabolism is how our bodies receive the energy it needs to continue on throughout the day and the rest of our lives. Chemistry then kicks in as food starts its process from entering to leaving the body, through the rate of our metabolism, and also by the transfer of energy. The chemistry in the digestive system is a very important process, because without it there would be no human life. Compared to all other systems in the body, the digestive system is one of the most diverse and important. According to Robert Sullivan the digestive system is a set group of organs whose function is based on the process of turning food, absorbing nutrients for energy and getting rid of the bodies waste (Sullivan, 2008, p.33). The organs that are in the digestive system are the following: esophagus, stomach, small intestine, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, colon or large intestine, rectum and anus (Ballard...
Words: 1372 - Pages: 6
