# Describe the journey of food through the alimentary canal, starting from ingestion in the mouth and ending at egestion at the anus. Include the names of the structures through which food passes and one digestive process that occurs in each structure named.

> Cambridge International IGCSE Biology (0610) — 7.2 Alimentary canal · Describe · 4 marks

## Mark scheme (4 marks)

1. Food enters via the mouth, where physical (mechanical) digestion by teeth breaks food into smaller pieces and/or chemical digestion of starch begins (by amylase in saliva)
2. Food passes through the oesophagus by peristalsis into the stomach, where protein is chemically digested by proteases and/or food is churned (physical digestion)
3. Food passes into the small intestine (duodenum / ileum), where chemical digestion of proteins, lipids and starch is completed by enzymes from the pancreas / pancreatic juice, and/or bile neutralises stomach acid / bile emulsifies fats
4. Undigested material passes into the large intestine where water is reabsorbed, and indigestible waste is egested as faeces through the anus

## Key terms

- [alimentary canal](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/alimentary-canal)
- [ingestion](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/ingestion)
- [egestion](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/egestion)

## Related

- [Revision notes for Cambridge International IGCSE Biology (0610)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Describe" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
- [Practice this with AI marking (free)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/start)

---
Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/describe-the-journey-of-food-through-099fca0d) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.