Digestive System - Breaking Down Food into Simple Forms for Body Function

It is the pathway that food takes through the digestive tract and other organs

The process when food is chewed and crushed by your teeth, breaking down into smaller pieces

The process when complex substances are broken down into simpler chemicals by saliva and gastric juices.

The process whereby muscles of the oesophagus push the ball of food down by contracting behind the food. (imagine squeezing the toothpaste)

It helps to digest fats, proteins and carbohydrates.

It contains hydrochloric acid, mucus and digestive juices that help to break down food substances in the stomach.

The largest internal organ and it helps to remove toxins eg. alcohol from the blood and produce bile to digest fats.

This is where digested food is absorbed into the body. It consists of microscopic fingers known as villi that have large surface that help to absorb nutrients into the blood.

This is where water is reabsorbed and waste forms lumps of faeces (aka stool) which are expelled from the body through the anus.