π The Amazing Food Processor!
Your digestive system breaks down food into nutrients your body can use for energy, growth, and repair. The journey from mouth to exit takes about 24-72 hours!
π« Key Organs
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Mouth
Chews food, saliva starts digestion
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Oesophagus
Tube pushes food to stomach
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Stomach
Churns food with acid
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Liver
Makes bile to digest fats
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Small Intestine
Absorbs nutrients (6m long!)
β»οΈ
Large Intestine
Absorbs water, stores waste
π€οΈ The Journey of Food
- Mouth β teeth chew, saliva starts breaking down starches
- Oesophagus β muscles push food down (peristalsis)
- Stomach β acid and enzymes break down proteins (3-4 hours)
- Small intestine β nutrients absorbed into blood (most digestion here!)
- Large intestine β water absorbed, waste prepared
- Rectum β Exit β waste leaves the body
π‘ Amazing Facts
- Your small intestine is about 6 metres long!
- You produce 1-1.5 litres of saliva every day
- Stomach acid is strong enough to dissolve metal
- Food moves through your system even when you're upside down
βοΈ Activities
Number these in order (1-6):
- ___ Small intestine
- ___ Mouth
- ___ Large intestine
- ___ Stomach
- ___ Oesophagus
- ___ Rectum
What happens to food in the stomach?
π©βπ« Teacher Notes
- Science: Living World β human body