What three structures of the oral cavity aid in mechanical digestion?

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Multiple Choice

What three structures of the oral cavity aid in mechanical digestion?

Mechanical digestion in the mouth relies on three players: teeth, tongue, and salivary glands. Teeth perform mastication, grinding and breaking food into smaller pieces. The tongue maneuvers food, positions it between the teeth, and mixes it with saliva to form a cohesive bolus. Salivary glands supply saliva that moistens and lubricates the food, making chewing easier and helping to bind the bolus. The other structures listed don’t directly contribute to physical breakdown in the mouth: the palate and uvula aren’t active crushers, the esophagus is a downstream tube, and the tonsils, stomach, and liver aren’t involved in the mouth’s mechanical processing.

Mechanical digestion in the mouth relies on three players: teeth, tongue, and salivary glands. Teeth perform mastication, grinding and breaking food into smaller pieces. The tongue maneuvers food, positions it between the teeth, and mixes it with saliva to form a cohesive bolus. Salivary glands supply saliva that moistens and lubricates the food, making chewing easier and helping to bind the bolus. The other structures listed don’t directly contribute to physical breakdown in the mouth: the palate and uvula aren’t active crushers, the esophagus is a downstream tube, and the tonsils, stomach, and liver aren’t involved in the mouth’s mechanical processing.

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