Library · Physiology
Digestion
Make it clearer
Digestion is the process that breaks food down into substances small enough to pass into the blood. It does this in two ways: mechanically and enzymatically, that is, with enzymes, which are proteins that break molecules apart.
First, food is ground into smaller pieces; then enzymes break its molecules into smaller units. Mechanical digestion breaks the food into smaller and smaller pieces. Chemical digestion goes further and degrades the food's molecular structure with digestive enzymes, leaving units small enough to pass into the blood.
The enzymes come from several places. The salivary glands make some, the stomach makes its own, and the pancreas does too. Hydrochloric acid, made by the stomach, and bile, which comes from the liver, make the enzymes' job easier. And that breakdown into units that can finally be absorbed happens mainly in the small intestine.
In brief
Digestion breaks food down, mechanically and enzymatically, into substances that can be absorbed into the blood.
It occurs through two processes: mechanical digestion breaks food into smaller pieces, and chemical digestion degrades the food's molecular structure with digestive enzymes.
First, food is ground into smaller pieces; then enzymes break its molecules into smaller units.
The salivary glands, the stomach and the pancreas supply enzymes, and hydrochloric acid and bile help them work; the breakdown into absorbable units happens mainly in the small intestine.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingPhysiology, Digestion, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated