What is digestion ? Why do only animals require a digestive system ? (2024)

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What is digestion ? Why do only animals require a digestive system ? ›

Digestion is the process in which complex substances are broken down to simpler substances and energy is produced. It is a vital process for an animal's survival because of this process the energy present in the food is made available to the cells in our body and due to that energy, we can work.

Complex and larger molecules such as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins have to be broken down into simpler particles which can be later absorbed and used by the body. For this reason, animals require a digestive system.

Digestion is the process of breaking down complex food materials into simpler substances by the action of enzymes. Need for a digestive system: Large complex molecules like carbohydrates, proteins and lipids need to be broken down to simpler molecules.

Digestion is the process of mechanically and enzymatically breaking down food into substances for absorption into the bloodstream. The food contains 3 macronutrients that require digestion before they can be absorbed: fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.

Function of the Digestive System in Animals

The primary functions of the GI tract include prehension of food and water; mastication, salivation, and swallowing of food; digestion of food and absorption of nutrients; maintenance of fluid and electrolyte balance; and evacuation of waste products.

Your digestive system breaks nutrients into parts small enough for your body to absorb and use for energy, growth, and cell repair.

The digestive system breaks down food into smaller molecules that the body can use. It has two phases - mechanical and chemical digestion. Mechanical digestion involves physical breakdown of food by teeth, tongue, and muscular contractions. Chemical digestion uses enzymes to break nutrients into absorbable molecules.

Plants do not need a digestive system because they get their energy through photosynthesis and the nutrients they need through their roots. Carnivorous plants live in low-nutrient soils and dissolve bugs to get nutrients. ... Therefore, they don't have actual digestive systems.

(dy-JES-tiv SIS-tem) The organs that take in food and liquids and break them down into substances that the body can use for energy, growth, and tissue repair. Waste products the body cannot use leave the body through bowel movements.

What is the digestive system simple answer? ›

The digestive system breaks down food and absorbs nutrients for energy and growth. It is a long tube starting from your mouth, going all the way to your anus. Common digestive health conditions are gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), diverticulitis, stomach ulcers, and haemorrhoids.

Digestion is the process by which food and drink are broken down into smaller parts so that the body can use them to build and nourish cells and to provide energy.

Digestion is the process in which complex substances are broken down to simpler substances and energy is produced. It is a vital process for an animal's survival because of this process the energy present in the food is made available to the cells in our body and due to that energy, we can work.

Animal digestion begins in the mouth, then moves through the pharynx, into the esophagus, and then into the stomach and small intestine. Nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine and waste is prepared for elimination in the large intestine.

The correct timing of material through the large intestine is critical for the formation of healthy stool. If material is pushed through too quickly, not enough water is absorbed and the stool is left with a high water content, which results in diarrhea.

Many of the foods we eat are too large and insoluble to be absorbed into the blood. These foods must be digested close digestionThe breakdown of large insoluble food molecules to smaller soluble ones. to break them down into small soluble molecules that can be absorbed.

Fish are not the only creatures that can lack stomachs. All of the monotremes, or egg-laying mammals such as the platypus and echidna, also lost their stomachs during the course of evolution.

A complete digestive system allows for the evolution of more complex organisms by allowing for the continuous intake of food and, thus, more nutrients. This is because each organ can specialize, which leads to a more efficient absorption of nutrients.