Question

Most digestion occurs in a. the mouth. b. the stomach. c. the small intestine. d. the large intestine.

Short answer

The correct answer is c. the small intestine, as this is where most of the digestive process and nutrient absorption takes place.

Step-by-step solution

Understand the role of each organ in the digestion process

The mouth is where mechanical digestion begins. It's where the food is physically broken down by chewing, and chemical digestion starts with the help of enzymes in saliva. However, the majority of digestion doesn't happen here. The stomach plays a crucial role in digesting food. It secretes acid and enzymes to break down the food further, particularly proteins. While the stomach plays a critical role in the digestion process, it's not where most digestion occurs. The small intestine is where most of the digestion and absorption take place. It secretes various enzymes to break down the food further into smaller particles that can be absorbed through the intestinal walls. Nutrients are then absorbed and transported into the bloodstream. The large intestine mainly functions to absorb water, electrolytes, and some vitamins produced by enteric bacteria. The remaining undigested food is then eliminated as feces.

Determine which organ is responsible for most of the digestion

Based on the information on the functions of these organs in the digestion process, most digestion occurs in the small intestine. It is the location where food is fully broken down and nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream.

Choose the correct answer

Now that we know that most digestion occurs in the small intestine, we can confidently choose the correct answer. The correct answer is: c. the small intestine.