Week 6 Reflection

Today, I will be explaining about my findings on how the body breaks down and uses food. Food is our energy source, but it first has to be broken down before it can be used as energy. This process of breaking down food occurs in the digestive system.
Digestion involves breaking down food with digestive juices. It starts in the mouth with salivary glands. The saliva excreted from the salivary gland help by releasing an enzyme into the food which starts breaking down carbohydrates into smaller molecules.
The next set of digestive glands is in the lining of the stomach. They produce stomach acid and an enzyme that digests protein. The food then move on to the small intestine.
The small intestine releases digestive enzymes with two other organs, the pancreas and the liver. The pancreas produces a juice which contains a wide array of enzymes to break down fat, carbohydrates and proteins. The liver produces another digestive juice, bile. The bile acid dissolve fat into the watery contents of the intestine.
The absorption of food starts in the small intestine. There are many folds called villi on the inner surface of the small intestine. Nutrients are absorbed from here. The absorbed nutrients are then transported around the body to every cell. These cells store the energy and when needed, release them. This in turn helps in our daily functions.
Indeed, digestion is important for our body to function. Without it, we would have no energy to carry out daily routines. Thank you!