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Biology Class 10 CBSE Syllabus Topics
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Posted : March 12, 2024 2:55 pm
The mouth plays a crucial role in the digestion of food through mechanical and chemical processes. Mechanical digestion begins with chewing, where teeth break down food into smaller pieces, increasing its surface area for enzymes to act upon.
Saliva, produced by salivary glands, contains enzymes like amylase that initiate the chemical breakdown of carbohydrates into simpler sugars. Additionally, saliva moistens the food, aiding in swallowing. The tongue assists in mixing food with saliva and forming it into a bolus for easier swallowing. Overall, the mouth's actions prepare food for further digestion and absorption in the digestive tract.
Posted : March 14, 2024 2:36 pm
The mouth plays a crucial role in the digestion of food through both mechanical and chemical processes. Below is the process:-
Mechanical Digestion
- Chewing (Mastication): When you chew your food, your teeth break it down into smaller pieces, increasing its surface area. This makes it easier for digestive enzymes to act on the food particles later in the digestive process.
- Mixing with Saliva: Saliva, produced by the salivary glands in the mouth, moistens the food and contains enzymes (such as amylase) that begin the breakdown of carbohydrates into simpler sugars. The mixing action of the tongue helps to thoroughly coat the food particles with saliva, aiding in the initial stages of digestion.
Chemical Digestion
- Salivary Amylase: Saliva contains an enzyme called salivary amylase, which begins the breakdown of complex carbohydrates (such as starch) into simpler sugars like maltose. This process initiates the digestion of carbohydrates even before the food reaches the stomach.
- Lingual Lipase: In addition to amylase, saliva also contains lingual lipase, which helps in the digestion of fats.
Taste and Sensation
- The mouth also serves as the initial site for taste sensation. Taste buds on the tongue detect the various flavours in food, which triggers the release of saliva and prepares the digestive system for incoming nutrients.
- Sensory receptors in the mouth can also detect the temperature and texture of food, sending signals to the brain to initiate appropriate responses, such as increasing saliva production or preparing the stomach for incoming food.
In summary, the mouth's role in digestion involves both mechanical breakdown through chewing and mixing with saliva, as well as chemical breakdown through the action of enzymes in saliva. This prepares the food for further digestion as it travels through the digestive tract.
Posted : March 14, 2024 4:11 pm
