Mastication means?

• A. Breathing
• B. Digestion
• C. Chewing
• D. Swallowing

Answer: (C)

Mastication is the act of chewing. It’s the mechanical breakdown of food by the teeth and jaw muscles, with help from the tongue and cheeks. This step reduces particle size, makes swallowing easier, and mixes food with saliva, which helps lubricate and, in some species, begin enzymatic digestion. By increasing the surface area of the food, mastication sets the stage for more effective chemical digestion later on. It’s different from breathing (air flow through the lungs), swallowing (moving chewed food into the esophagus), and digestion as a whole (the broader chemical and molecular breakdown and absorption that follow). In animals, chewing patterns vary with dentition and diet, such as ruminants vigorously grinding plant material or other animals chewing less before swallowing.