YOUR HARD WORKING STOMACH
When you swallow food, it travels from your mouth down a tube called the esophagus and into your stomach. Glands in the stomach wall start to work as food enters. One type of gland produces mucus that makes the food slippery. Other glands release acids to kill any bacteria in the food, and still others make chemicals called enzymes that break food down into tiny pieces.
Muscles in the stomach move in wavy motions to break down all this food and all these chemicals into a liquid. The muscles then contract to squeeze that liquid to the other end of the stomach. A special ring-like muscle sits at the bottom opening of the stomach. It opens a little bit to allow just the liquid to pass through. Then it opens wider so that some of the pulpy food can enter your small intestines, where the food will continue to be digested.
