In which two organs is food broken down?
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1 point
Mouth and stomach
Small intestine and large intestine
Esophagus and small intestine
Esophagus and stomach
Mouth and stomach.
Food is broken down in the mouth and stomach.
The correct answer is the "Mouth and stomach." To understand why, let's break it down:
When we eat food, the process of digestion begins in the mouth. The teeth help to mechanically break down food into smaller pieces, while the enzyme called amylase starts to break down carbohydrates. Saliva also plays a role in moistening the food, making it easier to swallow.
Once we swallow the food, it moves down the esophagus, a muscular tube connecting the mouth to the stomach. The esophagus doesn't break down food; its primary function is to transport the food into the stomach.
In the stomach, food is further broken down through a combination of physical and chemical processes. The stomach muscles contract and churn the food, mixing it with gastric juices. These gastric juices contain enzymes that break down proteins, as well as hydrochloric acid, which helps to kill bacteria and activate the enzymes.
After the food has been broken down in the stomach, it moves into the small intestine. This is where the bulk of digestion takes place. The small intestine is responsible for breaking down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into smaller molecules that can be absorbed into the bloodstream.
Finally, the remaining undigested food passes into the large intestine, also known as the colon. The function of the large intestine is primarily to absorb water and electrolytes from the remaining undigested matter, creating feces that are eventually eliminated through the rectum and anus.
So, in summary, the correct answer is the "Mouth and stomach" because the breakdown of food begins in the mouth with mechanical and chemical digestion, and further breakdown occurs in the stomach through mechanical churning and chemical reactions.