What is digestion and why is it important?
Digestion is the process of breaking down food to receive energy. Clearly, digestion is necessary in order to receive this energy. Without it, we would not be able to go about our daily life. In order for an organism to get energy, they must undergo cellular respiration. Cellular respiration to the process in which organisms take glucose to make ATP. ATP is essentially energy. It has three phosphates and a bond needs to be broken in order to release energy. Digestion brakes down this glucose into ATP. The formula for cellular respiration is: glucose + oxygen = CO2 +H2O + ATP.
In order for nutrients, such as lipids, carbs, amino acids and proteins, to be transported throughout the body, they must go in the blood stream. This happens through an organ called the small intestine. This organ has villi on the walls of it, which are hair like structures that diffuse nutrients into the blood stream.
Speaking of diffusion, this is a process that goes from a higher concentration to a lower concentration and does not need energy to occur. Without it, we would not have our energy in the essential places needed.
Digestion in the Angler Fish:
The Angler has a light attached to its head. This light producing organ is called a photophore and is produced through a chemical process called bioluminscence. This light attracts the prey for the Angler. Anglers are carnivores. They can even swallow fish up to twice their size because of their distending jaw and expandable stomach. In most bony fish, their stomachs are generally shaped. When the prey gets close, the Angler uses it's VERY sharp teeth to trap the prey by putting their teeth in an angled position. After they chew up the fish and it gets broken down in the mouth. The teeth help the food get mechanically broken down. Anglers also have a large tongue that aids in mechanical digestion as well. Enzymes help mechanically break down food. The food then gets moved to the Pharynx. After the Pharynx is the esophagus which is a muscular tube. The esophagus is lined with mucus and strong muscles that keeps the food lubricated so it will have an eaiser time getting down. Then it goes to the gizzard, the stomach, the Pyloric Cacea. The Pyloric Cacea is an organ that helps fish digest foods by both mechanical and chemical digestion. After this, the food goes to the rectum, pancreas then liver. All of the energy from the food gets diffused into the cells and that is how our critter gets its food! [1]