Process of Digestion and Absorption after eating a hamburger.

Process of Digestion and Absorption after eating a hamburger.

After someone eats a hamburger with the works, they do not really think of what nutrients are in that hamburger, what the body does to get those nutrients out of the food, or even what process is used, they just think of how good it tasted. To get all the nutrients out of the food the human body uses processes called absorption and digestion. Some of the processes of digestion are mechanical and chemical; these are the step before the food is absorbed into the body.

The first step of digestion is mechanical digestion. Mechanical digestion starts in the mouth. The food is chewed by the action of the jaw moving up and down where the food is crushed and broken up into smaller pieces. Saliva is produced in the mouth also to help break the food down. Saliva is part of chemical digestion.

English: 30% hydrochloric acid

English: Flesh fly, from the Sarcophagidae family....

Digestive system with liver

The food is broken up into smaller pieces so that the food can be passed down the oesophagus into the stomach. A form of mechanical digestion in the stomach is when the food has entered the stomach, the stomach contracts and makes wave like movements. The stomach does this to mix the gastric juice inside the stomach with the food. When food enters the stomach chemical digestion mainly takes place.

The second step of digestion is chemical digestion. Chemical digestion first takes place inside the mouth and then takes place in the stomach. Chemical digestion involves in a liquid that is acidic. The first part of chemical digestion is in the mouth, this liquid is called saliva. Saliva is a clear type liquid; this liquid is thicker than water. Saliva is produced in the mouth by salivary glands. Saliva has a medium pH level (6-7), so it...