Name one component of the digestive system that performs mechanical digestion and describe how it contributes to acquiring nutrients from food.

The stomach and the teeth both perform mechanical digestion, which is physically (as opposed to chemically) breaking the food into smaller components. This exposes a larger surface area for chemical digestion and release of nutrients. The teeth are vital to mastication, which breaks large bites of food down into smaller pieces that are easily swallowed. The stomach’s muscle contractions churn the food to expose all particles to the acid and digestive enzymes..

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