Below domain, life is classified into six kingdoms: plants, animals, archaebacteria, eubacteria, and fungi. The last kingdom, protists, include all microscopic organisms that are not bacteria, animals, plants or fungi. (Archaebacteria and eubacteria are sometimes combined into a single kingdom, monera.)

Small quantities of certain minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, and salt are important for nutrition and health.

The small intestine is where most digestion takes place. As food travels along the small intestine it gets broken down completely by enzymes secreted from the walls. These enzymes are produced in the small intestine as well as in the pancreas and liver. After the enzymes break down the food, the resulting substances are then absorbed into the blood via capillaries in the small intestine walls.

The narrowest classification of life, species, contains organisms that are so similar that they can only reproduce with others of the same species.

Food is mixed with gastric acid and pepsin in the stomach to help break down protein.