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The Digestive Process
BEGIN The Mouth Food is mechanically broken down by the teeth, increasing the surface area.
Saliva, containing the enzyme amylase, breaks down starch into glucose. Food is brought down to the
stomach through the esophagus by peristalsis. To The Stomach ‐ Hydrochloric acid breaks the food
down. Pepsin breaks down proteins into peptides, which are a small group of amino acids. Fat and
protein are digested slowest whereas carbohydrates are digested quickly. To The Duodenum‐ Lots of
digestive enzymes are found in this area, secreted from the wall of the duodenum, the pancreas and the
gall bladder. Enzymes including lipase, amylase, maltase, sucrase, lactase, are found there.
Bile is also secreted from Gall Bladder. Bile emulsifies fat. To The Small Intestine‐ Intestinal juice
contains the same enzymes as the duodenum. Most food is digested here, as it is 8 meters long. The
wall of the intestine contains millions of finger like projections called villi so the surface area is
increased. To The Large Intestine‐ Here, when the food is broken down, it’s nutrients are absorbed
through the intestinal walls and transported throughout the body. The waste products of this process
include undigested parts of the food, known as fiber, and older cells that have been shed from the
mucosa. These materials are pushed into the colon, where they remain until the feces are expelled by a
bowel movement. END
Pure Wellness Studio – The Digestive Process
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