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When you take a big chunk of your burger in your mouth and start chewing, it tastes great and yummy! But what actually happens with the food when it goes through your body?
The job of the digestive system is to break down the food we eat into smaller units, so we can use it as energy to keep our body going. It does many magnificent things to keep your body fit.
You will need to use the information below to answer the questions in this worksheet.
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| Name | Function |
| mouth | Contains teeth which cut and tear food before we swallow it, also produces saliva which helps to break down sugars and lubricate the food. |
| oesophagus | A tube of muscle that connects the mouth and the stomach. |
| stomach | A muscle bag that churns and mixes food. Some proteins are broken down here. The stomach contains strong acid which kills any bacteria that may have been consumed with the food. |
| small intestine | A long, narrow tube made of muscle. The final stages of food breakdown occur here before small, useful food molecules are absorbed into the blood. |
| large intestine | Another tube of muscle, that is wider than the small intestine but shorter. Water used by the body to help break down food in the stomach and small intestine is absorbed, leaving behind waste products which harden to form faeces (pooh). |
| rectum | Stores faeces until it passes out of the body. |
| anus | The lower opening of the digestive system. Faeces leaves the body through this opening. |
