Question

Q:1 Know the difference betweeen mechanical and chemical digestion and what is involved in each (muscles, enzymes, etc).

Answer 1

Mechanical digestion involves physically beaking the food into smaller pieces. Mechanical digestion starts by the grinding action of teeth which is known as mastication. It occurs from the mouth to the stomach. The stomach produces peristaltic contractions which help in churning the bolus and mixing it with gastric juices secreted by the stomach lining cells.

Chemical digestion involves the chemical breakdown of compounds with high molecular weight into compounds with low molecular weight. It mainly involves the action of enzymes. It occurs from the mouth to the intestine. Mixing of the food with the saliva starts the process of chemical digestion. The enzyme amylase present in the saliva breaks down starch into smaller carbohydrates. In the intestine, the food is acted upon by many enzymes, which helps in the absoption of food.