Digestion of food is quite complexa process that reduces to the splitting of large molecules of proteins, fats and carbons into monomers that are easily absorbed by the cells of the body. In different parts of the digestive tract, different compounds dissolve, which are then absorbed by the small intestinal mucosa and spread throughout the body. Begins the same digestion in the mouth.
Before considering how digestion occurs in the oral cavity, you need to at least briefly get acquainted with its structure.
Structure of the oral cavity
In anatomy it is common to divide the oral cavity into two parts:
Each element of the oral cavity has its own function and is responsible for a certain process of food processing.
Teeth are responsible for the mechanical processing of solidfood products. With the help of canines and incisors, a person bites off food, then crushes it with small molar teeth. The function of large molars is to grind products.
Language is a large muscular organ thatis attached to the bottom of the oral cavity. Language is involved not only in food processing, but also in speech processes. Moving, this muscular organ mixes the chopped food with saliva and forms a food lump. In addition, it is in the tissues of the tongue that taste, temperature, pain and mechanical receptors are located.
Salivary glands are parotid, sublingual andsubmaxillary glands come out into the oral cavity with the help of a duct. Their main function is the production and excretion of saliva, which is of great importance for the processes of digestion. Saliva functions are as follows:
Digestion in the oral cavity: mechanical phase
The mouth can get the mosta variety of food and, depending on its consistency, it either immediately passes into the esophagus during the swallowing act (drinks, liquid food), or undergoes a mechanical treatment that facilitates the further digestion processes.
As already mentioned, with the help of teeth, foodis crushed. The movements of the tongue are needed in order to mix the chewed foods with saliva. Under the influence of saliva, the food is softened and covered with mucus. Mucin, which is contained in saliva, takes part in the formation of the food lump, which later passes into the esophagus.
Digestion in the oral cavity: enzymatic phase
The composition of saliva also includes some enzymes that participate in the decomposition of polymers. In the oral cavity there is a splitting of carbons, which continues already in the small intestine.
Saliva contains a complex of enzymes forthe name of ptyalin. Under their influence, the polysaccharides decompose to disaccharides (mainly maltose). Subsequently, maltose under the influence of another enzyme is split into glucose monosaccharide.
The longer the food is in the mouth andis susceptible to enzymatic action, the easier it is to digest it in all other parts of the herb tract. That's why doctors always recommend chewing food as long as possible.
На этом пищеварение в ротовой полости ends. The food lump goes further and, falling on the root of the tongue, triggers a reflex swallowing process, in which the food passes into the esophagus and then enters the stomach.
If to summarize, then in the oral cavity there are such processes as grinding food, analyzing its taste qualities, wetting with saliva, mixing and the primary breakdown of carbohydrates.
