4. STOMACH
Food transit time in stomach is 4 to 5 hours.
The stomach holds, mixes and grinds the food within its strong muscular walls.
The stomach secretes important enzymes and acid, so that the process of
breaking down the food can continue. After stomach digestion, the consistency of
food is liquid or paste. Adult stomach can hold food and liquid after a meal up to
1 liter to even 4 liters (almost a gallon).
5A. SMALL INTESTINE
Food transit time in the small intestine is 15 min–5 hrs
The small intestine is made up of three segments.
I) The duodenum, which breaks down the food.
II & III) The jejunum and the ileum which are mainly in charge of the absorption
of nutrients. The length of the small intestine can be 6 m / 20 ft, which is
equivalent to the average length of a green anaconda, one of the longest snakes
in the world. The process of breaking down food continues by using enzymes
released by the pancreas and bile. In a study the average transit time was 1 hr 24
mins. (AJR – American Journal of Roentgenology).
