While making a bowl of delicious Jell-O (red flavor), I started wondering; what is the first thing to break down this wonderful not-quite-foodstuffs after I swallow it? Is it my body heat, or stomach acidity, or some sort of enzymatic activity that turns Jell-O into mush?
The first thing that breaks it down is simply mechanical. You crush it between your tongue and palate and then your stomach grinds it. That re-liquefies it fairly effectively within minutes. Try putting some Jello into a plastic bag with asmall amount of water and then massaging the bag. Within minutes the jeelo will be mostly re-liquefied. The same thing happens in your mouth and gut.
Following the physical breakdown enzymes in your stomach begin to physically digest the protein, but even without those enzymes it would rapidly be liquefied by purely mechanical action.
*Delicious *Jell-O is a myth, so I am viewing this as a trick question…
It’ll melt quite quickly if held in the palm of your hand - which is not as warm as your body core temperature, so I think any small lumps that miss the mechanical processes of ingestion, etc, will melt pretty soon after they hit the stomach.