Digestion
Digestion is the process of breaking down food mechanically or chemically creating substances that are used by the body. It is necessary because it allows food to be broken down into nutrients that our body needs to function and then creates energy. Mechanical digestion is when food is physically broken down into smaller pieces while chemical digestion is when food is broken down with acids and enzymes. Humans digest food mechanically and chemically. The mechanical part occurs in our mouths, as we use our teethes to crew and break down the food. Chemical digestion in humans begins in our mouths where saliva brakes down starch into smaller portions and then it goes down to our stomach. In our stomach there are enzymes which dissolve most foods and form chyme. Then the food goes down to the intestines where bile breaks down fats. After all of this, the substances are absorbed by villi projections and then sent to the blood stream to give energy to cells. Then in the mitochondria, a process to release energy occurs. This process is called cellular respiration and it is when cells release energy from glucose as ATP by using oxygen. ATP is then converted into ADP and the stored energy is released.
How do Manta Rays digest their food?
Manta Rays feed on small fish, plankton and crustaceans. Although Manta Rays are extremely large, they feed on tiny marine animals. Unlike most animals, the mouth, nostrils and gill slits are located at the body of the Manta rays body.[1] Also, although Manta Rays are similar to sharks in many ways, they are different from sharks because they do not have teeth and so they use small plates in their mouth to absorb the food particles out of the water. [2] The gills trap the food inside it's mouth and allow water to be released. Then the food gets redirected into the stomach for digestion. Manta rays move slowly through the water, allowing them to take in lots of food since they dedicate many hours a day into eating. An adult ray can eat up to 60 pounds of food in one day. [3]