Final answer:
The midgut of an insect is analogous to the combined functions of a human's stomach and small intestine, responsible for the enzymatic digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Step-by-step explanation:
The part of an insect that functions as both the stomach and the small intestine to digest and absorb food is called the midgut. Just like in humans, where the stomach and small intestine are part of the digestive system, insects have a similar system, although more simplified. The midgut is responsible for the digestion and absorption of nutrients from the food an insect eats. Unlike vertebrates, insects do not have separate compartments for the stomach and the small intestine. Instead, the midgut performs the functions of both, breaking down food with digestive enzymes and then absorbing the nutrients into the body.
Insect digestion begins with the foregut where food is initially processed, then moves to the midgut for enzymatic digestion and absorption, and finally ends with the hindgut, where waste is processed for excretion. It is in the midgut where the majority of chemical digestion and nutrient absorption occurs in insects, functioning similarly to the human stomach and small intestine.