In this electron micrograph, many adjacent mitochondria are visible within the muscle cell. Itâs no coincidence that they are located close to one another â they do that in order to share glucose, amino acids and fatty acids in order to distribute the production of ATP across a coordinately linked network.
Swallowing involves roughly 50 muscles and many nerves, to move food and drink from the mouth into the stomach. Swallowing disorders, also called dysphagia, occur when nerve control or structures involved in the process are disrupted or not functioning properly. Many conditions can cause swallowing problems, among them: 1  Head, neck or chest injury. 2  Cancer of the head, neck, or food tube (esophagus) , or treatment of these cancers.
Also in the mouth, an enzyme called salivary amylase begins to break down long starch molecules into maltose. Once the food is ready to be swallowed it is gathered into a ball called a bolus and sends to the part of the bolus called the pharynx.igestion is the breakdown of food into simpler molecules that can be absorbed by the body. The digestive system is actually a long hollow tube called the gastrointestinal tract, or GI tract. The digestive system includes the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine.