The Digestive System

Mouth Starts Everything! Saliva starts to form as

soon as you smell a tasty food.

When you do eat, saliva breaks down chemicals in the food.

Tongue pushes food around you chew with your teeth.

Bolus- mushed up food your tongue pushes toward back of throat.

Down, Down, Down… Esophagus- Pipe like,

moves food from the back of your throat to your stomach.

Epiglottis- flap that blocks food/liquid from entering windpipe.

“went down the wrong pipe”

Muscles in the walls squeeze food through, takes 2-3 seconds.

Too Much To STOMACH Shaped like the letter “J” 3 Jobs: Store food you’ve

eaten, break down food into liquid, slowly empty liquid into small intestine.

Like a blender, breaks down everything into smaller and smaller pieces

Gastric Juices- Help kill bacteria that might be in eaten food.

Small Intestine Breaks down food

mixture so body can absorb vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

May spend up to 4 hours in SI then to the blood.

Once in the blood, your body gains energy it needs.

Liver and Onions anyone? Blood comes directly to the liver for

processing. Filters out harmful substances and wastes. Decides how nutrients will go to rest of

body or stay behind for storage. Usually stores certain vitamins and sugar

body uses for energy.

Large Intestine Fatter than SI, 3-4

inches around. Appendix- tiny tube at

end but doesn’t do much and can sometimes can get infected.

Before the unwanted waste leaves your body it passes through the LI to the colon.

Then you are ready to go to the bathroom!

THE END!