In: Biology
Food remains in the stomach for several hours; passage of food through the small intestine also requires several hours. These two organs have very different shapes. Explain why they are able to retain food for so long for efficient digestion and absorption.
answer - These two organs are able to retain the food for a longer period of time and this is utilised by the stomach in the breakdown and mixing of the food while the intestine utilise this time for the effecient absorption . Their ability of retaining of food is because of the physiological characterstics as stomach has the layers of muscle whose one way contraction cause the peristalsis movement and move the food towards the intestine this movement is in control of the enteric nervous system hence signaling through this system cause the retension or movement of the food and on the other has the pyloric sphincter in the stomach acts as a valve to controls the flow of partially digested food from the stomach to the small intestine.
and in the intestine the food retains for a longer time as the intestine is longer and peristalsis movement in the intestine is slow so the food retain in the intestine for enough period of the time to cause the effecient absorption of the food .
there are many condition such as DIARRHOEA in which intestine and stomach is not able to retain the food for enough time and malabsorption occur . this occur due to excessive movement of the gut .
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