Difference between physical digestion and chemical digestion?

Answer 1

Physical (also called mechanical) digestion is when you use your teeth to MASH up food. You are physically breaking the food into smaller pieces. However, chemical digestion would be what your saliva or stomach acids are doing. They are breaking down the food and transferring different parts of it (such as lipids etc.) to the different parts of your body that need it.

Answer 2

This interesting question speaks to the physics as well as the chemistry of digestion. It simply isn't enough to dump chemicals into something to get a reaction. We must mix or agitate the ingredients to optimize the effect. That physical process is an aid to the chemistry involved. Peristalsis is the movement of the involuntary muscles that provide the motive force in the digestive tract. With this action, we see the contents of the system "churned" in a way that serves to mix the digestive enzymes and the food together, as well as expose different parts of the mix to the walls of the intestines so that absorption and uptake can occur. Think this one through as you scan other information that you access using the links below.

Answer 3

Well, one is physical and the other is chemical.

Physical processes can change the form of something, but do not cause chemical reactions; the molecules coming out are the same as those going in.

Chemical processes involve chemical reactions and alter the substance on a molecular level, producing new chemical compounds.

Answer 4

Although the mechanical digestion doesn't necessarily begin before the chemical digestion (Amylase in the saliva) mechanical digestion increases the surface area of the food by smashing and grinding, which in the chemical digestion that follows increases its exposure to digestive juices. Chemical digestion in f.ex the stomach is thus enhanced

Answer 5

Mechanical digestion which cuts, smash, and grind food increases the surface area of the food to be digested, increasing exposure to digestive juices, thus making further digestion more efficient and beneficial.

Answer 6

Mechanical digestion enhances chemical digestion by breaking down large pieces into smaller pieces whithout altering their chemical composition.

Answer 7

Mechanical digestion breaks up food into smaller pieces with more surface area. This allows chemical digestion to take place more easily.