Question

What happens to the food in the mouth?

Answer 1

Hint: Digestion in animals begins in the mouth, then proceeds through the pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, and small intestine.
Saliva starts the digestion process in the mouth. Saliva is a food substance that mixes with food in the mouth while chewing by teeth. It functions as a digestive fluid and softens the meal, allowing for an easier digestion process. Salivary glands produce this substance.

Complete answer:
Food is chewed and broken down in the mouth so that it can be readily digested. It is then combined with saliva, which softens the food while also killing any microorganisms present. It also contains salivary amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch into monosaccharide units known as maltose.
Food enters the digestive system through the mouth.
Chewing breaks down food into smaller pieces. The meal is chopped and crushed by the teeth as it is combined with saliva. This process softens it and makes it simpler to swallow. Food goes down the oesophagus and into the stomach after being swallowed.
Saliva contains an enzyme called salivary amylase, which starts the process of turning starches in food into maltose, a disaccharide. The cells of the tongue create another enzyme called lipase. It's one of a family of enzymes that can break down triglycerides. Lingual lipase is the enzyme that starts the breakdown of fat components in a diet.
The chewing and wetting process of the teeth and saliva shape the meal into a bolus, which is then swallowed. By transporting the bolus from the mouth into the pharynx, the tongue assists swallowing. The pharynx connects two passageways: the trachea and the oesophagus, which lead to the lungs and stomach, respectively.
The epiglottis seals the glottis during swallowing, allowing food to enter into the oesophagus rather than the trachea, preventing food from reaching the lungs.

Note:
Role of saliva in digestion of food-
1. It contains salivary amylase, a digestive enzyme that breaks down starch into sugar.
2. Food is simpler to swallow when it is lubricated and moistened. Aids in the formation of the bolus, which allows food particles to cling together and be swallowed as a mass.
3. Cleans the mouth by destroying bacteria and preventing tooth decay.
4. The enzyme ptyalin is responsible for the conversion of starch to maltose.