The process of chewing food prior to swallowing is called which term?

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Multiple Choice

The process of chewing food prior to swallowing is called which term?

Explanation:
Mastication is the mechanical digestion of food that happens in the mouth through chewing. It uses the teeth, jaw muscles, and tongue to break food into smaller pieces and mix it with saliva, forming a cohesive bolus and increasing the surface area for enzymes to work on later. This step sets up swallowing and kickstarts chemical digestion as saliva begins to break down starches. The other terms don’t fit: MRSA is a methicillin-resistant bacterial infection, not a digestive process; medial is an anatomical directional term meaning toward the midline; navicular refers to a bone or a boat-shaped object, not a digestive action.

Mastication is the mechanical digestion of food that happens in the mouth through chewing. It uses the teeth, jaw muscles, and tongue to break food into smaller pieces and mix it with saliva, forming a cohesive bolus and increasing the surface area for enzymes to work on later. This step sets up swallowing and kickstarts chemical digestion as saliva begins to break down starches. The other terms don’t fit: MRSA is a methicillin-resistant bacterial infection, not a digestive process; medial is an anatomical directional term meaning toward the midline; navicular refers to a bone or a boat-shaped object, not a digestive action.

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