What is Digestion and Why Must it Occur? Digestion is the process in which food is broken down mechanically and chemically into smaller molecules. These molecules are then taken in by all the cells of the body for fuel and energy. The small intestine is lined with tiny finger-like projections called villi. The villi help absorb nutrients directly into the blood stream. "Nutrients are transported around the body through our blood streams, because they are broken down in our intestines then sent from different parts of our bodies that need them through our blood." [1] . In other words, digestion must occur in order for our bodies to get nutrients.
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Glucose, Cellular Respiration, and ADP/ATPGlucose is an essential source of energy used to perform all bodily functions. Glucose is broken down through a process called cellular respiration, which occurs in the mitochondria. During cellular respiration ADP is broken down to make ATP, which is energy for the body.
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Human Digestion
Humans chew food to break it down, an example of mechanical digestion, and amylase in the saliva breaks down starch, an example of chemical digestion. The food travels down the esophagus, where contractions called peristalsis led it to the stomach. The stomach churns and breaks down the food before it is led to the small intestine. In the small intestine, nutrients are absorbed through the villi. It then travels to the large intestine, where water and electrolytes are extracted from the food. The process ends when waste, which is stored in the rectum, leaves the body through the anus.
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The Diet of the Nine Banded Armadillo
The nine-banded armadillo has an extremely diverse diet, of more than 500 foods. [2]. Their diet is primarily insects and invertebrates, such as beetles, scorpions and snails. Some small reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and bird eggs make up a smaller part of their diet. The smallest part of their diet is composed of fruits, seeds, fungi, and other plants.
How the Nine Banded Armadillo Obtains Food
The Anatomy of the Nine Banded Armadillo |
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