Mechanical digestion refers to
A) the progressive dehydration of indigestible residue.
B) the input of food into the digestive tract.
C) the enzymatic breakdown of food.
D) the absorption of nutrients in the gut.
E) the effects of chewing, churning, and segmentation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mechanical digestion involves physical processes such as chewing, churning, and segmentation that break down food into smaller pieces, which increases the surface area for enzymatic breakdown later on in the digestive process. Options A and D refer to processes that occur later in digestion, while option B is simply the act of inputting food into the digestive tract. Option C refers specifically to enzymatic breakdown, without including the physical breakdown that also occurs in mechanical digestion.

Mechanical Digestion Refers to