What is the process of putting food in the mouth called?

The process of putting food in the mouth is called ingestion. Ingestion is the first step in the digestive system, where organisms take in food, which is necessary for obtaining nutrients. This is a critical stage because it prepares the food for subsequent processes such as digestion and absorption, which happen later in the digestive system.

Digestion refers to the breakdown of food into smaller, absorbable components, while absorption is the process of taking those nutrients into the bloodstream. Metabolism involves the chemical processes that occur within a living organism to maintain life, including converting food into energy, but it is not specifically about the act of consuming food. Thus, ingestion is the accurate term for the initial act of taking food into the mouth.