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Why must large food molecules be broken into smaller fragments?
ASo they can pass through cell membranes
BSo they can be stored inside the crop
CSo they can be ground by the gizzard
DSo they can be moved by peristalsis
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. So they can pass through cell membranes
1. The large molecules in intact food cannot pass through cell membranes.
2. So the nutrients inside them are not available to the cells as they stand.
3. Food must be broken into smaller particles before the body can harness it.
4. That is the whole purpose of digestion, and why it precedes absorption.
_Source: OpenStax Biology 1e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 34 "Animal Nutrition and the Digestive System", section Ingestion_
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