MOUTH

The Start of Digestion:

• Food enters through the mouth.

• The mouth contains teeth which chew, tear, and grind food into smaller piece (this is called mechanical digestion)

• The mouth contains the tongue, which helps to move and shape food into a ball to be swallowed (a ball of chewed food is called a bolus!)

• The mouth contains glands which secrete saliva and digestive enzymes (saliva moistens food, making it easier to swallow).

• Enzymes in the saliva begin the chemical breakdown of carbohydrates (like starch).

  • • The chemical digestion of protein and fat does not begin until later in the digestive system.