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The rectum doesn't do anything to break down food. By the time "food" reaches the large intestine, what was at one time "food" is then liquefied waste. In the small intestines, fluid is added. So in the large intestines, the fluid is pulled back out of the waste and then pushed toward the kidneys to process it. As the fluid is pulled back, the liquefied wastes become semi-solid (to very dry solid if constipated). After going through the last part of the large intestines, the solid waste (stool, feces) is pushed into the top of the rectum. The rectum acts as a holding receptacle and as a nerve center that sets off a "gotta go" signal through a feeling of fullness, e.g. pressure on the nerves in the walls of the rectum. The rectum is about 10-12cm in length. So it can hold a lot of waste. Also, because the intestines and rectum are basically round tubes, resulting in us having a mostly rounded stool (unless we end up with too much water left in the waste, resulting in diarrhea. As you can see, the rectum has nothing to do with breaking down food.
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
Wiki User
∙ 8y agoThe rectum does not break down food. The rectum stores undigested food waste until it is expelled through the anus.
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What happens to your food?
when you eat it? your teeth and saliva break down your food in your mouth. then you swallow. the food enters your stomach and food with nutrients are sent throughout your body. Stomach acid breaks what it can and the rest exits through your rectum.
What substance is used to break food down?
Enzymes are used to break down food.
How does your saliva break down food?
it has special enzymes that break down food suckas
Where does food break down?
Food begins to break down as soon as it enters your mouth.
What antibodies help the stomach to break down food?
Antibodies are not used to break down food.
Substance used to break food down?
Enzymes are substances that break down food.
Do chemicals in birds break down food in the gizzard?
Yes, in birds it does break down the food
Which structures break down food and energy?
Mitochondria break down food and release energy.
How do you break down food?
Your teeth chew it, then you swalllow and your acids in your body break down the food.
What is the break down of food?
It is digestion.The process used to break down food is called digestion. Digestion helps break down food so that the nutrients can be absorbed into the system.
Where does digestion begin where does it end?
It begins with the gastric acids in your saliva in your mouth where the food starts to break down, continues to your stomach where it is broken down further, down to your small intestine where nutrients are absorbed, and into your colon where what remains is converted into waste product and excreted from the rectum.
Does digestion help organisms break down food?
Digestion is the process by which organisms break down food.
