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Article: Mouth, Pharynx, and Teeth
- Article from:
- Animal Sciences
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Mouth, Pharynx, and Teeth
The digestive system functions to receive, store, and break down food to absorb nutrients. Both physical and chemical digestion processes begin in the mouth. The presence of food in the mouth causes the salivary glands to deliver saliva into the mouth. Often even the smell or anticipation of food will cause activation of the salivary glands. Digestive
enzymes
in saliva begin to moisten, soften, and dissolve the food before passing it to the next stage of the digestive system. Saliva also contains mucin, which protects the mouth from abrasion, and buffers, which prevent dental cavities by neutralizing acid in the mouth. The tongue is used to taste and ...