2.27 understand the process of ingestion, digestion, absorption, assimilation and egestion

The five main stages of digestion are ingestion, digestion, absorption, assimilation and egestion...

Ingestion
This is putting food (or drink) into your mouth (mechanical digestion)

Digestion
Digestion is the break-down of large, insoluble molecules into small, soluble molecules (mechanical digestion)

Absorption
Absorption is the process of moving molecules through the walls of the intestine into the blood. Digested food molecules are absorbed in the small intestine - water is mainly absorbed in the large intestine.

Assimilation
When digested molecules have been absorbed, they're moved into body cells. The digested molecules then become part of the cells (this is assimilation). For example, when amino acids (from digested proteins) are assimilated, they're used by cells to make cellular proteins.

Egestion
All the undigested stuff forms faeces, which are of no use to the body so they are egested through the anus