Explain the Process of Digestion of Food in Mouth, Stomach and Small Intestine in Human Body
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: September 13th, 2023
The process of digestion in the human body involves multiple organs and stages. The process involves the mechanical breakdown of food in the mouth, chemical breakdown of nutrients in the stomach and small intestine with the help of digestive enzymes, and absorption of digested nutrients in the small intestine. In this article, we will explain the process of digestion in different parts of the human body in detail.
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Process of Digestion in Mouth, Stomach, and Small Intestine
Before we understand the process of digestion of food in the mouth, stomach, and small intestine, let’s understand the basics. Digestion is the process by which the body breaks down food into smaller molecules that can be absorbed and used for energy, growth, and repair. It involves several organs and enzymes working together to convert complex food substances into simpler forms that can be absorbed by the body. Now, let’s break it down and learn about the process of digestion in different parts of the human body.
Digestion in the Mouth
- The digestion of food begins in the mouth with the action of chewing.
- The saliva present in the mouth has a digestive enzyme known as salivary amylase which breaks the starch into sugar.
Digestion in Stomach
- The food is stored and mixed in the stomach which is received from the esophagus with gastric juices.
- Mucus, hydrochloric acid, and pepsinogen are the main components of gastric juice.
- The bits of food are dissolved by hydrochloric acid and create an acidic medium.
- Pepsinogen is converted to pepsin in this medium which is the protein-digesting enzyme.
- The inner lining of the stomach is protected by mucus by the action of HCl.
Digestion in Small Intestine
- For the complete digestion of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, the small intestine is the site.
- Intestinal juice is produced from the glands which are present in the wall.
- Intestinal juice helps in the digestion of food further.
- The small intestine gets the digestive juice from the liver and pancreas which helps in mixing food.
- Bile juice is produced by the liver which causes the emulsification of fats and pancreatic juice is produced by the pancreas for digesting emulsified fats and proteins.
- The intestinal walls finally absorb the digested food.
Summary:
Explain the Process of Digestion of Food in the Mouth, Stomach, and Small Intestine in the Human Body
The process of digestion of food in the mouth, stomach, and small intestine in the human body involves multiple stages. Digestion begins in the mouth with chewing and then the saliva breaks down the starch into sugar. In the stomach, the food is mixed with gastric juices, including hydrochloric acid and enzymes. Lastly, complete digestion takes place in the small intestine.
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