Ingestion (biology)

Ingestion is the entry of food, liquid, or other substances into an organism through the mouth or another intake opening. It precedes digestion in animals that process food internally.

Swallowing: Swallowing moves food or liquid from the mouth through the pharynx and esophagus into the stomach. In humans and many animals, swallowing carries ingested material beyond the mouth.
Nutrition: Nutrition is the set of processes by which organisms obtain and use materials and energy for growth and maintenance. Ingestion is one route by which organisms obtain nutrients.
Baleen whale: A baleen whale is a cetacean that filters small prey from seawater using plates of baleen instead of teeth. Its feeding illustrates how filtration concentrates prey before ingestion.
Foodborne illness: Foodborne illness is disease caused by consuming food or drink contaminated with infectious agents or harmful substances. Contaminants can enter the body along with ingested food or liquid.
Phagocytosis: Phagocytosis is the cellular uptake of large particles by enclosing them in a membrane-bound vesicle. Some single-celled organisms ingest food particles by engulfing them directly.
Feeding: Feeding is the behavior or process of obtaining food, including its capture, ingestion, and handling. Ingestion is the intake stage within feeding.
Sponge: A sponge is a porous aquatic animal that draws water through its body and captures suspended particles. Its cells ingest captured particles from water moving through the body.
Poisoning: Poisoning is harmful physiological disruption caused by exposure to a toxic substance. Ingestion is one route by which toxins enter an organism.
Food vacuole: A food vacuole is a membrane-bound compartment where an ingested particle is enclosed for intracellular digestion. It holds food after a cell takes it in.
Digestion: Digestion breaks food into molecules that can be absorbed or otherwise used by an organism. It typically processes food after ingestion.

Linked from 1 page

InhalationCompared with: It introduces substances through swallowing rather than breathing.