AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Mechanical digestion can only break up the food particles into smaller pieces. A chemical digestion process called enzymatic hydrolysis can break the bonds holding the molecular ‘building blocks’ within the food together. For example, proteins are broken down into their ‘building block’ amino acids.

Detailed explanation-2: -Mechanical digestion in the oral cavity consists of grinding of food into smaller pieces by the teeth, a process called mastication. Chemical digestion in the mouth is minor but consists of salivary amylase (ptyalin, or alpha-amylase) and lingual lipase, both contained in the saliva.

Detailed explanation-3: -Mechanical Digestion The large pieces of food that are ingested have to be broken into smaller particles that can be acted upon by various enzymes. This is mechanical digestion, which begins in the mouth with chewing or mastication and continues with churning and mixing actions in the stomach.

Detailed explanation-4: -Mastication, Bolus Formation, and Swallowing Mastication, or chewing, the first step in food digestion, results in the breakdown of large food particles into small pieces.

Detailed explanation-5: -Amylase, maltase, sucrase, lactase, etc. convert carbohydrates into monosaccharides and disaccharides in the small intestine. Fats are converted to fatty acids and glycerol by lipases in the small intestine.