Digestive System

Main Function of the Digestive System:

Ingestion, digestion, absorption and elimination of food in order to obtain nutrients for the body’s metabolism.

Click here for detailed information of the digestive system and how it works.

Main Ideas of the Digestive System:

• Molecules must be broken down in order to be small enough to diffuse through cell membranes.

• Two methods of digestion are mechanical (chewing, peristalsis) and chemical (enzymes).

• Surface area is VERY important: mechanical digestion increases surface area which allows for more chemical digestion, and villi increase surface area in small intestine which allows for greater absorption.