Continue with Microsoft TeamsRead About Your Digestive System
Vocabulary
Read the vocabulary terms to understand the reading better.
The colon/large intestine is the large, short part of the digestive system in which water, minerals, and vitamins are absorbed from foods, and waste products from those foods are moved out of the body.
Digestion is the process by which food is changed into substances that can be absorbed and used by a living organism.
The esophagus is a muscular tube through which food moves from the mouth to the stomach.
The excretory system are the organs in the body that help to remove waste products and toxins from the body.
The gallbladder is a small muscular sac below the liver that stores bile produced by the liver; it releases the bile into the stomach to digest food.
The liver is a large organ in the body that produces bile to help the stomach break down food, and that stores nutrients and turns them into energy the body can use.
The pancreas is a long gland that releases hormones, such as insulin, into the bloodstream and digestive enzymes into the small intestine.
Protein is a nutrient naturally found in foods that helps the body build, take care of, and replace tissues.
The rectum is the end of the large intestine through which feces, or solid waste, is released from the body.
Saliva is a watery substance that is produced by the salivary glands to moisten, or wet, chewed food and start the digestive process.
The small intestine is the longest part of the digestive system, from the stomach to the colon, through which food moves and is absorbed into the body.
The stomach is a bag-like part of the digestive system into which chewed food goes and is mixed with acids that break down the food so the body can use it.
Your Digestive System
Oxygen is an important fuel for your body, and so is food. Food gives your body’s cells energy to breathe, move, and do many other things. Food also provides your body with proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
Take a Bite
Digestion starts when you take a bite of food. The food is ground up by your teeth and wetted with saliva. Then your tongue pushes it back to your esophagus which squeezes it down to your stomach.
Down in the Stomach
Your stomach is a big bag-like organ where the food gets broken down. The muscles in your stomach squeeze the food. Your stomach’s digestive juices dissolve the food.
Your Two Intestines
From your stomach, the food moves into a crooked tube called the small intestine. The food mixes with digestive juices from your liver, pancreas, and gall bladder. Nutrients are then extracted from the food. Anything left over moves down into the large intestine or colon. There, water is soaked up and the waste is formed into lumps.
Taking Out the Garbage
The leftover waste then moves into your excretory system. Extra water, or urine, goes into the bladder. It is stored there you use the toilet. Solid waste leaves your body through a tube called the rectum.
To learn more about your digestive system, watch the video by Learn Bright on Youtube.