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Basically, it's to increase the surface area and also to liberate nutrients that are held within foodsuffs, that would otherwise not be accessible. Chewing up food does not itself release the nutrients it contains, it just makes it possible for us to swallow it in a manageable size. When this lump of food (called a 'bolus') enters the stomach, it still holds within it all it's proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals etc. that have to be made accessible for the body to absorb. It also needs to be made as FULLY accessible as possible, i.e. for the surface area of the food to be maximised to make sure that no nutrients are wasted. The best way to achieve this is for it to be liquified, which is done mostly in the stomach by hydrochloric acid, but also partly in the upper part of the small intestine as well. The vast majority of foodstuffs are absorbed into the body via the small intestine (called the duodenum)- the only thing absorbed by the stomach is alcohol. The large intestine (the colon) absorbs water.

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16y ago

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