Question
Write a short note on digestion in the mouth.
✓
Answer
- Digestion in the mouth (buccal cavity):
- Both mechanical and chemical digestion processes take place in mouth.
- Mastication or chewing of food takes place with the help of teeth and tongue.
- Teeth crush and grind the food while tongue manipulates the food.
- Crushing of food becomes easier when it gets moistened by saliva.
- Mucus in the saliva lubricates the food as well as it helps in binding the food particles into a mass of called bolus which is swallowed by deglutition.
- The tongue presses against the palate and pushes the bolus into pharynx which further passes oesophagus.
- The only chemical digestion that takes place in mouth is by the action of salivary amylase.
- It helps in conversion of starch into maltose. About 30% starch gets converted to maltose in mouth.
- The bolus further passes down through oesophagus by peristalsis.
- Food from the oesophagus enters the stomach.
Need a full question paper?
Generate a complete, print-ready paper with questions like this in minutes — across 16+ boards, with answer keys.
Explore more
Similar questions
How do secondary metabolites useful for mankind?
Describe the types of lipids and mention their biological significance.
Sprain is more painful than fracture. Why?
Identify the type of tissue shown in the given figure and write its characteristics.
Which are the units of classification?
What is Homotypic Division? Explain its phases.
What are the external factors which affects photosynthesis?
Explain the mechanism of blood circulation in cockroach.
Depending upon nature of food and feeding habits, different insects have different types of mouthparts. Collect images of different mouthparts and paste in appropriate boxes.
Label the various regions of a typical root in the given figure and explain them in detail.