The digestive process begins in the mouth. Food is partly broken down by the process of chewing and by the chemical action of amylase (these enzymes are produced by the salivary glands and break down starches into smaller molecules).
The food then enters the oesophagus which is a long tube that runs from the mouth to the stomach. It uses rhythmic, wave-like muscle movements (called peristalsis) to force food from the throat into the stomach.
When the food reaches the stomach, the stomach does three things. Firstly, it crushes the food; secondly, the glands in the stomach wall release acid so that it is the right pH for lipase to break down protein; thirdly, it expands so that it can hold the food for up to four hours. Bile then emulsifies the fats to increase surface area so that more nutrients can be absorbed in the intestine.
The small intestine runs from the pyloric sphincter to the caecum of the large intestine. This is where most of the digestion and absorption takes place. It has a large surface area due to villi so that more nutrients can be absorbed.
The large intestine is 1.5 metres long and water is absorbed there. Fibre, dead cells and other nutrients then make solid waste which is stored in the rectum until it is excreted out of the body via the anus.
my body
my body is…
an object
a casket
a shell
a treasure chest
an ornament
a sarcophagus
a puppet
a mannequin
a ventriloquist's dummy
a casing
a container
a carapace
a column
a sentinel
a statue
a golem
a cyborg
a dalek
a pod
a larva
a cocoon
a chrysalis
a ghost town
a labyrinth
my body is temporary
it is now
it moves
talks
eats
breathes
excretes
dances
sings
remembers
it shouts
gets angry
apologises
forgives
it loves
it holds
it will die
my body is a blueprint
I am a ticking clock
I am a seed pod
LUCY S & JACQUELINE MÉZEC
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