What is the primary goal of digestion?

The primary goal of digestion is to break food down into absorbable units. This process begins in the mouth and continues in the stomach and intestines, where complex food substances are transformed into simpler compounds that the body can use. Carbohydrates are broken down into sugars, proteins into amino acids, and fats into fatty acids and glycerol. By breaking food into these smaller, absorbable components, the body can then effectively transport these nutrients into the bloodstream, where they are delivered to various cells and tissues for energy, growth, and repair.

Option A, focusing on the absorption of nutrients, is a subsequent step that relies on the initial breakdown of food into absorbable forms. Absorption cannot occur optimally without the prior breakdown that digestion provides.

The choice that indicates increasing food volume is not a goal of the digestive process. Instead, the emphasis is on breaking down food to maximize nutrient utilization, rather than increasing volume.

Storing food for future energy does play a role in overall metabolism but is not the focus of digestion itself. The digestion process concentrates on preparing food so that the body can absorb and utilize necessary nutrients effectively.