Digestive System The human body uses various kinds of food for energy and growth. To be used, however, food must be changed into a form that can be carried through the bloodstream. The body's process of extracting useful nutrients from food is called digestion. The digestive system of humans and other higher animals is the group of organs that changes food--carbohydrates, fats, and proteins--into soluble products that can be used by the body. Both mechanical …showed first 75 words of 1454 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1454 total…aid in digesting the remaining food products. They also produce folic acid, which prevents anemia, and they aid in the absorption of several vitamins. Enzymes help plants and animals digest their food just as enzymes help humans digest theirs. An enzyme, amylase, helps break down starch into sugar. Another enzyme, maltase, acts upon malt sugar and changes it into glucose, which is more easily absorbed by the body. Lipase changes fats into more usable forms.