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Both, saliva breaks down food chemically, and your teeth mechanically break down food by cutting, grinding, and mashing.

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15y ago

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What is term for the chemical breakdown of food in the mouth?

Mastication, commonly known as chewing, is the term for the mechanical breakdown of food in the mouth.


What is the first chemical step of digestion?

The breakdown of starch into sugars in the mouth.


What organs secrete enzymes which begin chemical digestion in the mouth?

The salivary glands in the mouth secrete enzymes in saliva that begin chemical digestion.


How does the esophagus perform mechanical digestion?

Peristalsis. The movement of muscles bringing the food to the stomach.


When Food ground up in the mouth is it chemical change?

The act of grinding the food is not chemical change, as the same molacules are present in the same form, but there are many chemical reactions in the mouth (such as the breakdown of long chain carbohydrates), and other processes which aid digestion (mixture with mucus)


How is digestion in the mouth and stomach similar?

Digestion in the mouth and stomach both involve mechanical and chemical processes to break down food. In the mouth, chewing (mechanical) and saliva (chemical) begin the breakdown of food, while in the stomach, churning (mechanical) and gastric juices (chemical) further digest it. Both processes aim to transform food into a more digestible form, facilitating nutrient absorption later in the digestive tract. Additionally, enzymes play a crucial role in both locations, aiding in the breakdown of carbohydrates in the mouth and proteins in the stomach.


How does mechanical breakdown affect chemical breakdown?

Mechanical breakdown makes food smaller so it wasn't be so large for the chemical breakdown.


Is the gallbladder chemical or mechanical breakdown?

Since there is no machinery in the body, it is a chemical breakdown.


What body system involved in the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food?

The digestive system is responsible for the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food. It includes organs such as the mouth, stomach, and intestines, which work together to process food into nutrients that the body can absorb. Mechanical breakdown involves chewing and mixing, while chemical breakdown involves enzymes and acids that help decompose food into simpler molecules. This system ensures that the body receives the necessary nutrients for energy, growth, and repair.


Where does the chemical breakdown of carbohydrates happen in the body?

They are everywhere. All cells have some amount of carbohydrates. In liver and muscles, carbohydrate glycogen is stored.


What breakdown's food in the mouth?

Saliva


What is the physical change in food when it enters the esophagus?

the physical change in the change in food when the enters esophagus is when it has a chemical breakdown in your mouth with a mechanical breakdown the chemical breakdown is when your salivia is making the food moist the mechanical is when you chew the food so it easier for it to enter the esophagus and so the salivia can get it moist then your esophagus uses muscles to push the food down into your stomache