How do the parts in digestive work together to digest food?

Answer 1

First you have mechanical and chemical forms that aid in the digestive process. The chewing or mastication breaks down the food so that more surfaces are available to the chemical processes that finally digest the food. Once a swallow of food (bolus) is in the stomach, digestive acids break down the food further. It is the same hydochloric acid that would burn your skin if thown at you. The rugae (folds in the stomach) also helps mechanically break down the food to churn and contract the muscles. This is called peristalsis. Next step is on to the duodenum. The duo (two) denum (ten)is the sum of its name in inches--it is 12 inches long. Here the chyle and chime (why don't more parents name their kids medical names, I wonder?) chuchchurn down to the small intestines. Here, more chemicals come from the pancreas, liver and gall bladder to break down the fats, carbs (starch), and proteins. These agents are called the lipase, protease and amylase--ahhh, more baby names! Vomit now, and you would bring up bile and pretty much digested food particles. Keep it down and it progresses to the jejunum and then the ileum. Remember it by The DJ is I gnorant!. D-Duodenum, J-Jejunum, I-Ileum. I will give you more of the trip to the netherland if you like what you read so far.