Food is broken down into smaller pieces through chewing (mechanical digestion), while the extensive process of chemical digestion begins. As food is chewed, saliva is produced and mixed with the food. The saliva contains enzymes, like amylase and lipase, that begin to break down carbohydrates and fats.
"The axolotls were like witnesses of something, and at times like horrible judges. I felt ignoble in front of them; there was such a terrifying purity in those transparent eyes." -"Axolotl" (Julio Cortazar, 1956).
