Feeding and Digestion in Mammals

     The solid food most animals eat is usually large , and must first be broken down into small molecules in the alimentary canal before it can be absorbed into the bloodstream. This is usually done mechanically and chemically in mammals. In mechanical digestion , the teeth break up big chunks of food into small pieces so that they can be swallower. Food is also mechanically broken up when the action of the muscular walls of the alimentary canal churns it around. Food , when broken into small pieces, has a larger surface area which is essential for effective chemical digestion. Chemical digestion is carried out by the enzymes