)the function of mechanical digestion is to break down large chunks of food into smaller pieces. why is this important? a. smaller pieces of food do not taste as good as larger pieces of food. b. smaller pieces of food have more surface area for chemical digestion than do larger pieces of food. c. smaller pieces of food are easier to excrete than are larger pieces of food. d. smaller pieces of food are more easily stored in the stomach than are larger pieces of food.