Final answer:
The process of digestion sequentially involves the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine, with the correct order provided in option (a). Accessory organs also contribute to digestion with enzymes and substances that facilitate the breakdown and absorption of nutrients.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding the Digestive System
The process of digestion involves the breakdown of food into smaller, absorbable nutrients and occurs in a specific order within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The correct sequence of the digestive process and the organs involved is represented by the following order: Mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine. This sequence corresponds to option (a).
Sequential Breakdown of the Digestive Process
Ingestion: Digestion begins in the mouth where mechanical digestion through chewing and chemical digestion via saliva occur.
- Food then travels through the pharynx to the esophagus, a tube that delivers the food to the stomach.
- Further mechanical and chemical digestion happens in the stomach, breaking down food into a form that can be absorbed.
- The partly digested food moves into the small intestine, where the majority of nutrient absorption occurs.
- Lastly, the large intestine processes residual material, absorbs water and salts, and prepares waste for excretion.
Accessory organs such as the pancreas, liver, and gallbladder produce enzymes and other substances crucial for digestion, although food does not directly pass through them.
Important Concepts in Digestion
It is important to note that digestion includes both mechanical and chemical processes, and both types of digestion begin in the mouth. Mechanical digestion continues in the stomach, while chemical digestion occurs throughout the GI tract as various enzymes break down different types of food molecules. Ultimately, the process concludes with excretion.