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The Digestive System : The Structure Of Food And Food

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The digestive system is a series of connected organs whose purpose is to breakdown the food we consume. Food is made up of large, complex molecules, which the digestive system breaks down into smaller, simple molecules that can be absorbed into the bloodstream. The simple molecules travel through the bloodstream to all of the body's cells, which use them for growth, repair, and energy.
The digestive system involves two stages: mechanical breakdown and chemical breakdown. In the mechanical breakdown, teeth physically break large pieces of food into smaller pieces. In the chemical breakdown, digestive chemicals known as enzymes break apart molecules of food.

Carnivore; Dog
A carnivores’ digestive system is quite simple, being a long piece of pipe with a single bulge near the beginning. All carnivores’ digestive systems are really quite similar and all function in the exact same way.

Diet

The dog, like all carnivores, has a diet of meat. Meat contains protein, which is used for growth and development and to form part of important substances in the body such as enzymes and antibodies. Meat also contains fat, which is used as energy.

Structures

Mouth- digestion begins in the mouth. The dog’s jaw contains incisors, canines and ridged molar teeth. Incisors are used for biting the food; canines are used for tearing the meat and the molars are used for tearing or crushing the meat. Salivary glands are used to lubricate the meat but are not important in digestion.

Stomach- its small size gives a good estimation of the amount of food the dog can consume at any one time. The stomach has two functions. Firstly, it is used for storage, although relatively small, this is all that is needed, as the food of a carnivore, is nutrient dense, allowing one small meal to sufficient for many hours. Secondly, the stomach function is to subject the food to a concentrated solution of hydrochloric acid, which dissolves and liquefies it.

Small intestine- is very vital in digestion. The small intestine in a dog is approximately 20 feet in length. The dissolved food leaves the stomach in a series of spurts, controlled by a valve and enters the small intestine. It is in the small intestine that food is digested and enters

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