Question

Major utility of breaking up of food into small bits during chewing is (a) to reduce suface area of the food eaten up (b) to increase surface area of the food eaten up (c) to make the food soluble (d) to enjoy taste of food.

Short answer

The major utility of breaking up food into small bits during chewing is to increase surface area of the food eaten up.

Step-by-step solution

Understand the process of chewing

Chewing 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.

Evaluate the options provided

During the process of chewing, food is broken down into smaller pieces. We need to determine if this process reduces or increases the surface area of the food, affects its solubility, or primarily enhances its taste.

Determine the correct option

By breaking food into smaller pieces, chewing increases the surface area of the food. This increased surface area aids enzymes in more efficiently breaking down the food. Hence, the process does not inherently make food soluble nor its primary purpose to enjoy taste; though both can be side effects of chewing. Therefore, option (b) to increase surface area of the food eaten up is the correct answer.

Key concepts

Chewing Mechanism

Understanding the chewing mechanism is fundamental to the digestion process. When we consume food, the act of chewing, also known as mastication, is where digestion begins. This physical process involves the teeth and jaw working together to break down food into smaller, more manageable pieces.

The role of teeth is not to be underestimated; incisors cut the food, canines tear it, and molars crush it, ensuring our food is properly minced. Saliva, secreted by the salivary glands, mixes with the food during chewing, adding moisture and beginning the chemical breakdown of the food with enzymes like amylase.

Not only does this process help in making swallowing the food easier, but it also serves a critical role in digestion. By breaking the food into smaller bits, the chewing mechanism significantly increases the surface area exposed to digestive enzymes, which leads to more efficient absorption of nutrients later in the gastrointestinal tract.

Enzymatic Breakdown

Following the mechanical breakdown that occurs in the chewing process, the enzymatic breakdown comes into play. Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in the body, including the digestion of food.

As food enters the stomach and then the small intestine, various enzymes, each specific to breaking down different types of nutrients, continue the digestion process. Proteases break down proteins, lipases digest fats, and carbohydrates are tackled by amylases, to name a few. These enzymes work best when the food particles are small enough for them to access and act upon, which ties back to the importance of chewing thoroughly.

Without sufficient enzymatic activity, nutrients in food would not be adequately broken down, which would impede their absorption in the small intestine. Overall, the enzymatic breakdown is a vital chemical process that works hand-in-hand with the mechanical processes like chewing to ensure the body can extract and utilize the nutrients from the food we eat.

Surface Area in Digestion

Surface area is a concept that plays a pivotal role in the efficiency of digestion. To grasp its importance, one can compare the process of digestion to a sponge absorbing water. Just as a sponge with a larger surface area can absorb more water more quickly, a larger surface area of food allows for more efficient enzyme action and nutrient absorption.

This is precisely why the act of chewing, which increases the surface area of food by breaking it down into smaller pieces, is crucial. The greater the surface area, the easier it is for digestive enzymes to attach to food particles and carry out their function. This efficient enzymatic breakdown will result in a more effective absorption process in the intestines, ultimately leading to better nutrition and health.

Proper chewing, therefore, plays a direct role in maximizing the surface area, highlighting its significance beyond merely preparing food for swallowing. It illustrates a fundamental principle of digestion: the smaller the particle size, the larger the surface area, the better the digestion and nutrient uptake.