The digestion of food begins in the mouth by the action of the enzyme ______________________ secreted by the _______________ glands. This enzyme begins the breakdown of starch. When you swallow, the bolus of food moves down the ______________________________ by rhythmic muscular contractions called peristalsis. In the stomach, the action of the enzyme _____________________ and hydrochloric acid aid in the breakdown of _____________________. After leaving the stomach, the acidic mixture of partially digested food, called chyme, enters the first part of the small intestine, the duodenum. Here digestion is completed by the action of enzymes from the pancreas, and bile, which is produced by the liver. Bile aids in the breakdown of _____________. The pancreas contributes bicarbonate ions to neutralize the acidic chyme, as well as digestive enzymes (proteases, amylase, and lipase). In the small intestine, numerous tiny projections called ____________ are responsible for absorption of nutrients. The primary function of the large intestine is to reabsorb __________________.