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Structure and function of the digestive system.
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| Submitted: Mon Sep 08 2003
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STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM The function of the digestive system is to break down large molecules in food, such as protein and starch, into monomers that can easily be absorbed into the body and with a balanced diet it does its job efficiently. The alimentary canal is a long coiled tube that runs through the body from the mouth to the anus. It consists of associated glands, the salivary glands, the liver and the pancreas. This muscular tube is organised into several distinct regions. The overall process of nutrition can be divided into several stages. Ingestion is taking in food. Humans put food into the mouth where it is chewed. Swallowing takes it down through the oesophagus and into the stomach. Peristalsis, rhythmic contractions of the gut wall, propels the food through the alimentary canal. Mechanical breakdown is how food is broken down into smaller pieces by chewing...
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