The Digestive system Lesson 9 February 24th, 2010

Digestive system The job of the digestive system is to change the food you eat into energy your body cells can use, and to get rid of wastes.

Study the picture that shows the digestive system Study the picture that shows the digestive system. Use a coloured pencil and trace the path that food takes as it travels through your body.

Digestive system Digestion begins when you put food in your mouth The Esophagus pushes food to your stomach through wave-like muscle movements.

Digestive System The Stomach muscles squeeze to mix food and release chemicals to break up food. The Small Intestine has chemicals to digest food. In the small intestine, nutrients from the food provide energy to your body. The small intestine also separates out the waste.

Digestive system In the large intestine, additional nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. The large intestine also moves waste out of the body. The anus discharges waste from the body.

How does the digestive system work? Your digestive system breaks down food you eat to get the nutrients your body needs. This work involves three different processes.

Mechanical digestion Mechanical digestion – teeth break up the food; your stomach muscles mix it into small pieces - Colour the parts involved in mechanical digestion green

Chemical digestion 2. Chemical digestion – chemicals in your mouth, stomach, and small intestine break down food into even smaller pieces. These chemicals are called enzymes. Circle the parts involved in chemical digestion

Absorption 3. Absorption – Nutrients move into the blood through the small and large intestines. Colour the parts involved in absorption yellow.  

On a blank piece of paper, draw and colour a labelled diagram of the digestive system. Hand in