Esophagus
The tube that leads from the mouth through the throat to the stomach.
Stomach
Where food goes and begins to be digested after you swallow it.
Colon
The part of the large intestine that extends from the cecum to the rectum.
Digestion has many stages:
- It begins in the mouth (oral cavity), where you use your teeth to break downfood into smaller piecesthat are absorbed into the body.
- Saliva helps to produce a bolus, which helps you swallow. The food passes into the esophagus and down into the stomach. Saliva contains a catalytic enzyme called amylase thatacts on food in the mouth.
- Gastric juice in the stomach helps continue digestion. Your stomach also produces mucus to further the process.Digestion is helped by peristalsis, which is the rhythmic contraction of muscles that starts along the wall of the stomach.
- Peristalsis results in the production of chime, which when fully broken down in the small intestine, is absorbed into the blood. Most food digestion occurs in the small intestine.
