How does digested food get to the cells of the body?

When food is eaten it is broken down mechanically by chewing and chemically by enzymes. Enzymes in saliva begin the process, and acids and enzymes in the stomach do a lot of the work. Enzymes and bile in the intestines help break down food into individual molecules. Once the food is broken down into molecules, it can pass through the wall of the small intestine. The small intestine has numerous folds to increase surface area, and also includes villi and microvilli to further increase surface area for absorption. The food molecules are absorbed by the cells making up the microvilli, and then pass to the bloodstream via capillaries running alongside the microvilli. Once in the bloodstream, the food molecules are delivered to cells throughout the body. 

Cells take up the food molecules in different ways depending on the type of molecule. In the case of glucose, cells have specific proteins embedded in the cell membrane that transport glucose across the cell membrane. For larger molecules, a cell will need to use endocytosis to take them into the cell.