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Digestion Research Paper

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Digestion is the process of breaking down food into a form your body can use. The digestion process begins in the mouth. Chewing mechanically breaks down food into small pieces while saliva mixes with the food to create a soft, moist mass of food for swallowing called a bolus. Saliva contains enzymes that chemically breaks down carbohydrates. When the bolus is swallowed, it enters the esophagus. Peristalsis, synchronized waves of muscle movement throughout the digestive system, moves the bolus toward the stomach. When the bolus nears the end of the esophagus, pressure from the food signals the muscle at the end of the esophagus to open and the bolus enters the stomach. In the stomach, the bolus is churned by the powerful muscles of

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