Eat+Or+Be+Eaten

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===Absorption: Is the process by which nutrient molecules pass through the wall of your digestive system into your blood. As the teeth break foods into smaller pieces, saliva mixes with the pieces of food and moistens them. Chemical digestion is accomplished by enzymes. Chemical digestion also begins in the mouth as an enzyme in saliva breaks down starch into sugar molecules. === === Food moves into the esophagus, a muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. Food remains in the esophagus for only about 10 seconds. After food enters the esophagus, contractions of smooth muscles push the food toward the stomach. These involuntary waves of muscle contractions are called peristalsis. ===

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===The small intestine is the part of the digestive system where most chemical digestion takes place. Almost all chemical digestion and absorption of nutrients takes place in the small intestine. ===

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=The large intestine is the last section of the digestive system. It contains helpful bacteria that feed on the material passing through. The bacteria make certain vitamins, including vitamin K. By the time material reaches the large intestine, most of the nutrients have been absorbed. The material entering the large intestine contains water and undigested food. As the material moves through the large intestine, water is absorbed into the bloodstream. The remaining material is readied for elimination from the body. =