After swallowing the chewed sandwich, the food travels down the esophagus into the stomach. What type of digestion takes place in the stomach?

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Question restatement: After swallowing the chewed sandwich, the food travels down the esophagus into the stomach. What type of digestion takes place in the stomach?

Option a: Mechanical digestion. The stomach does perform mechanical actions, such as muscular contractions that churn and mix the contents, which helps physically break the food into smaller pieces. However, this option describes the physical process rather than the chemical breakdown that actually digests nutrients. So while mechanical activity is present, it does not fully answer what type of digestion occurs in the stomach.

Option b: Chemical digestion. In the stomach, chemical digestion is driven by gastric juice, which contains acid (like hydrochloric acid) and enzymes such as pepsin. This chemical milieu begins breaking down proteins and other components of food, transforming the chewed sandwich into a semi-liquid substance called chyme. This is the primary digestive process occurring in the stomach, making this option the best fit for the question.

Why option a is not correct: Although mechanical actions occur in the stomach, the question asks for the type of digestion, not the physical mixing. Mechanical digestion describes physical breakdown, not chemical transformation of nutrients, so it does not fully address the digestive process occurring there.

Why option b is more accurate: The stomach’s role in digestion is to chemically break down food with gastric juices, which is precisely the definition of chemical digestion. The presence of enzymes and acid directly facilitates the chemical breakdown of proteins and other molecules, which is the core digestive activity in the stomach.

BIO 181 (001&002) FALL 2025 4D - Self-Check: Human Digestive System: Esophagus and Stomach (LO 4D.1, 4D.2, 4D.3, 4D.4)

After swallowing the chewed sandwich, the food travels down the esophagus into the stomach. What type of digestion takes place in the stomach?

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