Glossary

Absorption- Absorption refers to the movement of nutrients, water, and

electrolytes from the lumen of the small intestine into the cell, then into the
blood.
Bolus- Bolus, food that has been chewed and mixed in the mouth with saliva.
Chyme- Chyme, a thick semifluid mass of partially digested food and digestive
secretions that is formed in the stomach and intestine during digestion.
Digestion- Digestion is the complex process of turning the food you eat into
nutrients, which the body uses for energy, growth and cell repair needed to
survive. The digestion process also involves creating waste to be eliminated.
Enzyme- Enzymes are biological molecules (typically proteins) that significantly
speed up the rate of virtually all the chemical reactions that take place within cells.
Mastication- Chewing or mastication is the process by which food is crushed and
ground by teeth. It is the first step of digestion, and it increases the surface area of
foods to allow a more efficient break down by enzymes.
Peristalsis- Peristalsis is a series of wave-like muscle contractions that move food
through the digestive tract. It starts in the esophagus where strong wave-like
motions of the smooth muscle move balls of swallowed food to the stomach.