What is digestion?
Digestion is a cascade of events that allows your body to use the foods that you eat. The digestive systems function is to break down this food into more simple compounds so the body can use them to build cells, provide energy and sustain life. Enzymes are used, along with special proteins and water to digest the food. It involves physical breakdown through chewing and chemical breakdown through hydrolysis. The end products are absorbed into the blood stream and used in the circulatory system. Anything that cannot be broken down, such as solid wastes, are removed from the body through the anus. The main stages of digestion involve the mouth, the stomach, the small intestine, and the large intestine. However, there are many more vital organs and enzymes that are involved in this process.