Physical Digestion (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Biology)

Physical Digestion

• Physical digestion (sometimes referred to as mechanical digestion) is the breakdown of food into smaller pieces without chemical change to the food molecules

• The processes that take place during physical digestion help to increase the surface area of food for the action of enzymes during chemical digestion

• It is mainly carried out by the chewing action of the teeth, the churning action of the stomach and the emulsification of fats by bile in the duodenum