Why does food need to be digested before it can be used by the cells?

Answer 1

Food is absorbed across a single cellular layer, if it were not broken down into component chemicals the molecules would be too large to be absorbed.

In addition breaking it down greatly increases the surface area and makes digestion much faster and efficient.

Answer 2

because as it enters to the oesophagus it should really be digested or else or organs won't work properly

the above answer is correct, but can be improved. most foods must be digested forst, so that they can get into the cell. cells are very small and most foods are too big to even get through the cell membrane. therefore, the food must break down so they can fit through the cell membrane and proceed into the cell.

Answer 3

In order to pass into the bloodstream, it must leave the gastrointestinal tract through tiny pores (remember, cell membranes are selectively permeable); the particles must therefore be tiny in size...ie. molecular and re-assembled into necessary proteins, etc by the cells that they subsequently enter.

Answer 4

It gets made smaller at first, so it wont cause any problems, like getting too much food in one gene, which would cause operations.

Answer 5

Because cells mouths are so little.