What is mastication?

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Multiple Choice

What is mastication?

Explanation:
Mastication is the mechanical breakdown of food in the mouth through chewing. The teeth crunch and grind, the tongue helps reposition pieces, and the jaw muscles work to form a smaller, cohesive bolus that’s easier to swallow. This step increases the surface area of the food and mixes it with saliva, which begins the process of digestion and lubricates what’s swallowed. Swallowing (deglutition) is the next phase, moving the chewed mass from the mouth into the esophagus. Digestion refers to chemical breakdown of nutrients in the GI tract, and absorption is the uptake of nutrients through the intestinal lining.

Mastication is the mechanical breakdown of food in the mouth through chewing. The teeth crunch and grind, the tongue helps reposition pieces, and the jaw muscles work to form a smaller, cohesive bolus that’s easier to swallow. This step increases the surface area of the food and mixes it with saliva, which begins the process of digestion and lubricates what’s swallowed.

Swallowing (deglutition) is the next phase, moving the chewed mass from the mouth into the esophagus. Digestion refers to chemical breakdown of nutrients in the GI tract, and absorption is the uptake of nutrients through the intestinal lining.

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