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The mouth and teeth are the first organs of the digestive tract. The teeth are bones whose primary purpose is to grind food in-to easy bits that the body can digest. In the mouth, a base known as saliva helps begin to separate the chemical make up of food. There are certain organs that are located in the mouth, such as the uvula, the tongue, and the frenulum (the organ that connects the tongue to the base of the mouth). The walls of the inner cheeks are lined with mucous which help protect the food from bacteria, and also protect the cheeks form saliva. The tongue is probably the most prominent organ within the oral cavity. The tongue is comprised of many bony attachments. Two of the tongues bony attachments are the hyoid and the styloid processes of the skull.

Mastication is the process by which food is grinded by the teeth. During mastication, the tongue mixes the food with saliva so to begin the digestive process. During the process of mastication, the papillae, which cover the tongue, send nervous signals to the brain, which then identifies taste.

mouth and teeth  peristalsis  small intestine  nutrients

stomach  waste