The Digestive System Components Mouth Esophagus Stomach Small

The Digestive System

Components • • Mouth Esophagus Stomach Small Intestine Large Intestine Gall bladder Liver Pancreas

Mouth • The mouth contains the teeth to chew food, the first step in the digestive process. • Saliva mixes with the food in the mouth to soften the food. • The tongue helps to push the food into the esophagus.

Saliva • Digestion starts before you even take a bite. • When you see and smell food, your mouth begins to water, or make saliva. • Saliva has a special chemical that helps break down the molecules in your food.

“Down the Hatch” • Once you take a bite of food, your teeth grind the food into smaller pieces. • When your teeth and saliva have made the food easy to swallow, your tongue pushes it to the back of your esophagus to be swallowed.

Esophagus • the tube that connects your mouth and your stomach http: //www. medicalvideos. us/play. php? vid=1804

Stomach • A stretchy bag that holds your food after you eat • Helps to break food into smaller pieces so your body can use it for energy and nutrition

Esophagus Stomach

Moving on……. . • When food reaches your stomach, your stomach muscles squeeze and churn. • For three hours, they mix the food with digestive juices until it is like thick soup. • This “soup” then moves to the small intestines.

Small Intestine • Tube that is 20 feet long. • Continues to digest food • Food stays in your small intestine for 4 to 8 hours • Nutrients are absorbed and enter your bloodstream. Blood carries the nutrients to all parts of your body.

Small Intestine

Large Intestine • Tube that is 5 feet long • Gets waste from small intestine • Waste stays for 10 to 12 hours

More Large Intestine • Undigested parts of the food move into the large intestine. • Here, the body absorbs the water and leaves behind the solid waste. • The waste travels down to rectum and leaves your body as feces or “poop. ”

Large Intestine

Gall Bladder • Storage tank for bile (a greenishyellow liquid) that helps your body break down and use fats • Located under your liver • Shaped like a pear

Gall Bladder

Liver • Factory for antibodies and bile • Stores vitamins and sugars until your body needs them

Liver

Pancreas • Helps you digest food by breaking down sugars

Functions of the Digestive System • Digest the food we eat • Take the nutrients out of your food so your body can use it

Healthy Habits • Eat foods that are high in fiber like fruits and vegetables

• Drink plenty of water

• Chew your food completely before you swallow

Avoid foods high in fat

Interesting Facts • Food is in your digestive system for about 24 hours

• Your stomach stretches when you eat like a balloon being filled with air

• You have a trap door called the epiglottis to cover your windpipe when you swallow.

• Your stomach mashes your food the way a baker kneads dough for bread.

Summary Functions • Digests food • Absorbs nutrients for the body • • Components Mouth Esophagus Stomach Small intestine Large intestine Pancreas Liver Gall Bladder

Summary Healthy Habits • • Eat high fiber foods Drink lots of water Chew food well Avoid high-fat foods

Works Cited • Microsoft Clip. Art • Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia • My Body: Teacher Created Materials