What happens in all the organs to all the nutrients from a cheese sandwich?

Answer 1

The mouth (teeth and saliva) masticate and break down the sandwich in each bite. Because the bread was fried in grease, butter, or margarine, which contains fats, along with the cheese that contains fats, the gallbladder revs up almost as soon as the sandwich pieces enter the stomach. In the stomach, acids begin to break down the starches into sugars which can be used or stored as glycogen or "fat tissues". The former "sandwich" is a liquidy thick mush before passing into the small intestines. The gallbladder's bile that empties into the duodenum helps break down fats so they can be absorbed through the small intestines. In the small intestines, fluid is pulled into the intestines, which along with muscle contractions (peristalsis) helps break down the food even further. Absorption of nutrients primarily occurs in the small intestines, and some in the ascending colon. In the transverse colon, the body pulls back out the excess fluid, routing it to the kidneys to process as waste. The remaining excrement proceeds down the descending colon, to the rectum, where it passes out the anus as feces (stool, bowel movement). Obviously, the actions of teeth, stomach, gallbladder (and in part, the liver), and especially the small intestines, the large intestines (with accompanying peristalsis), the blood supply, and kidneys are crucial to break down food and absorb nutrients.