Digestive System

Question 1

What are the functions of the digestive system?

Answer 1

Ingestion: selective intake of food;
Digestion: mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into usable form by body;
Absorption: Uptake of nutrient molecules into epithelial cells of digestive tract and then into blood or lymph;
Compaction: absorbing water and consolidating the ingestible residue into feces;
Defecation: elimination of feces

Question 2

What is the difference between mechanical and chemical digestion?

Answer 2

Mechanical is the physical breakdown of food into smaller particles, while chemical hydrolysis reaction that breaks down molecules.