The Digestive System

Today, we are going to learn more about the organs in our digestive system. 

The mouth

Food enters the digestive system through the mouth.

Food is broken down into smaller pieces by chewing. The teeth cut and crush the food, while it’s mixed with saliva. This process helps to make it soft and easier to swallow.

After being swallowed, the food passes down the oesophagus and into the stomach.

The stomach

The stomach is an important organ in the digestive system. After food has been chewed in the mouth and swallowed, it enters the stomach via the oesophagus.

The stomach produces strong acid. This kills many harmful microorganisms that might have been swallowed along with the food.

It also contains special chemicals called enzymes. These are important for breaking down the food so it can be absorbed by the body.

After it leaves the stomach, the partially-digested food passes into the intestines where it begins to be absorbed.

Partially digested food arrives in the intestine from the stomach.

Intestines

The intestines are divided into two parts: the small intestine and the large intestine.

1. Small intestine

Digested food is absorbed in the small intestine. This means that it passes through the wall of the small intestine and into the bloodstream. The blood then carries the useful substances around the body to where they are needed.

2. Large intestine

By the time the contents reach the large intestine, most of the digested food has been absorbed. This just leaves waste material that the body doesn’t need or can’t digest. This is called faeces or poo, which we get rid of when we go to the toilet.

Your task 

Number these sentences from 1 - 6 to show what order the digestive process happens

This activity is on SeeSaw