AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Mechanical digestion in the oral cavity consists of grinding of food into smaller pieces by the teeth, a process called mastication.

Detailed explanation-2: -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-3: -Mastication serves to break down foodstuffs for subsequent digestion by means of the masticatory forces generated between the teeth.

Detailed explanation-4: -Mechanical digestion is a purely physical process that does not change the chemical nature of the food. Instead, it makes the food smaller to increase both surface area and mobility. It includes mastication, or chewing, as well as tongue movements that help break food into smaller bits and mix food with saliva.