Final answer:
The pizza you eat goes through different stages of digestion in your digestive system. In the mouth, carbohydrates are partially broken down. In the stomach, proteins are further broken down, and some fats begin to be digested. Finally, in the small intestine, the remaining food molecules are broken down and absorbed, while in the large intestine water is absorbed and waste material is formed.
Step-by-step explanation:
The pizza you take a bite of goes through different stages of digestion as it travels through your digestive system. The process begins in the mouth, where the food is physically broken down by chewing and chemically broken down by enzymes in saliva. Carbohydrates, such as the starches in the pizza crust, are partially broken down into simpler sugars in the mouth by enzymes called amylase.
After being chewed, the pizza moves into the stomach, where it is mixed with digestive juices that contain enzymes and acids. Here, proteins in the pizza, such as the cheese and meat, are broken down into smaller peptide chains by stomach enzymes like pepsin. The stomach also helps break down some fats in the pizza through the action of gastric lipase.
Next, the partially digested pizza enters the small intestine.
Here, pancreatic enzymes and bile produced by the liver further break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into even smaller molecules. These molecules are then absorbed through the walls of the small intestine and enter the bloodstream to be transported to cells throughout the body.
As the pizza continues its journey through the digestive system, it moves into the large intestine. Here, water is absorbed, and the remaining waste material is compacted into feces. The feces are stored in the large intestine until they are excreted through the anus.