Mechanical Digestion: How Your Body Physically Breaks Down Food

* Teeth: The teeth are the first part of the digestive system to break down food. They physically break down food into smaller pieces, which makes it easier for the stomach and intestines to digest.

* Stomach: The stomach is a muscular organ that churns and mixes food with digestive juices. This further breaks down the food into a liquid form called chyme.

* Small intestine: The small intestine is a long, coiled tube that is responsible for most of the absorption of nutrients from food. The walls of the small intestine are lined with villi, which are small finger-like projections that increase the surface area of the intestine and help to absorb nutrients.

* Large intestine: The large intestine is a shorter, wider tube that is responsible for absorbing water and electrolytes from food. It also stores waste products before they are excreted from the body.