Digestion
Digestion of Food
The food you eat provides nutrients for your body’s cells. However, these substances must travel a long journey to reach your cells. The digestive system is part of that journey.
One of the roles of our digestive system is to break food down into pieces small enough to be absorbed into the bloodstream. This means converting food into absorbable molecules. This process is called digestion. The breakdown of food takes place in different parts of the digestive system.
Quick Fact
The term digestion refers not just to breaking food into pieces, but to transforming it into molecules small enough to be absorbed into the bloodstream.
A Twisting Tube
Part of our digestive system is a twisting tube that starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. This tube is called the digestive tract. The digestive tract is composed of different sections that each perform a specific function. In addition to this tube, there are other organs in the digestive system that surround the tract and are connected to it.
Important Concept
The digestive tract is a continuous hollow tube that extends from the mouth to the anus, with organs like the stomach and intestines performing specialized functions along the way.
Question
How is the bird's digestive tract different from our own?
Show Answer
The bird's digestive tract includes specialized parts not found in humans, such as the crop (to store food) and the gizzard (to grind food using swallowed stones). These help birds digest food without chewing, unlike the human digestive system.