Digestion and Absorption

So far, we have spent quite a bit of time discussing what to eat, and how much we should consume from each food group. However, it is equally important to understand how our body physiologically reacts to our food and portion choices.  After viewing the Digestive System video, use the outline below to discuss the purpose and function of the human digestive system:

• The Digestive Tract
  • Appraise the purpose and components of the digestive system during digestion and the absorption of nutrients.
• The Mechanical Aspect of Digestion
  • Discuss the key mechanical processes involved with the digestion of a food item of your choice.
• The Chemical Aspect of Digestion
  • Distinguish the mechanical and chemical digestive processes and discuss the role of enzymes and other gastric fluids in digesting sugar, starch, fiber, fat, and protein.
• A  Letter From Your Digestive Tract
  • Review the letter on page 92 of your textbook. Assess the correlation between food choices and digestive disorders and explain how to avoid such disorders.

This assignment must be a minimum of three pages in length (excluding title and references pages) in APA format as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. Use subheadings to help organize your paper. Include a minimum of two scholarly sources, in addition to the course text, cited according to APA format as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. At least one of your sources must be from the Ashford University Library.