Download Your Digestive System

Your Digestive System
1. Teeth – crush food into smaller pieces to aid swallowing
2. Liver – secretes bile which breaks fat into smaller pieces
3. Gall bladder – stores bile until needed in the small intestine
4. Large Intestine – absorbs water and vitamins (made by bacteria living in the
large intestine), stores waste, releases waste
5. Small Intestine – all digestion is completed here (no nutrients are broken down
past this point), nutrients are absorbed through the villi into the blood stream
6. Rectum – end of large intestine, stores solid wastes until they leave the body
7. Anus – opening to let out wastes
8. Mouth – allows food to enter the body, contains teeth and tongue,
carbohydrate digestion begins here due to the action of the enzymes in saliva
9. Salivary glands – secrete saliva into the mouth to begin carbohydrate digestion
and moisten food
10. Esophagus – connects the mouth and stomach, uses peristalsis (muscular
contractions) to move food along
11. Stomach – churns food into a thick liquid called chyme, protein digestion begins
here due to the action of gastric juice (enzymes and hydrochloric acid)
12. Pancreas – secretes pancreatic juice into the small intestine to neutralize the
acid from the stomach and to digest all types of food
Digestion in the Mouth
1. Palate – the “roof” of your mouth, tongue pushes against it to aid swallowing,
separates the mouth and nasal cavities
2. Teeth - crush food into smaller pieces to aid swallowing
3. Tongue – tastes food, mixes food with saliva, pushes food between the teeth,
helps in swallowing
4. Salivary Glands - secrete saliva into the mouth to begin carbohydrate digestion
and moisten food
5. Pharynx – where mouth and nasal passages meet, leads to the trachea and
esophagus
6. Epiglottis – flap of tissue that closes over the trachea when you swallow to
prevent food or drinks from going into the trachea which prevents choking
7. Esophagus - connects the mouth and stomach, uses peristalsis (muscular
contractions) to move food along
8. soft palate - keeps food out of the nasal airway
Digestion Helpers
1. Liver – secretes (makes) bile which breaks fat into smaller pieces
2. Gall Bladder - stores bile until needed in the small intestine
3. Bile Duct – tube that carries bile from the gall bladder to the small intestine
4. Pancreas - secretes pancreatic juice into the small intestine to neutralize the acid
from the stomach and to digest all types of food
5. Duodenum – the first part of the small intestine, digestion is completed here
Nutrients
There are six nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water.
Chemical digestion of carbohydrates begins in the mouth and ends in the small intestine.
Chemical digestion of proteins begins in the stomach and ends in the small intestine.
Chemical digestion of fats begins and ends in the small intestine.

Fats are broken down into fatty acids and glycerol.

Proteins are broken down into amino acids.

Carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars.

It takes about 24 hours to fully digest a meal.
Can you label the digestive tract correctly?
Questions
1. Where is epiglottis located? Between __________ and ___________
2. Where are villi found? In ______________
3. Where is chyme made? In _______________
4. Where is peristalsis at work? In _______________
5. Where is bile made? In _____________
6. Where is bile stored? In _____________
7. Where are the vitamins and water absorbed? In __________
8. Where does carbohydrates digestion begin? In __________
9. Where is pepsin made? In ____________
10. Where is saliva made? In ___________
11. Which ones listed below are not a part of the digestive tract? ____________
a. stomach
b. liver
c. rectum
d. mouth
e. gallbladder
f. esophagus
g. pancreas
h. large intestine
i. pharynx
12. Which ones listed below are not a part of the digestive system? ___________
a. liver
b. kidneys
c. epiglottis
d. pancreas
e. bladder
f. duodenum
13. Mechanical digestion begins in the ____________.
a. stomach
b. mouth
c. esophagus
d. duodenum
c. fat
d. vitamins
14. Bile is used in digesting ____________.
a. carbohydrates
b. protein
15. ___________ stores nutrients and breaks down toxins.
a. stomach
b. liver
c. gallbladder
d. pancreas
16. Nutrients are absorbed in the __________________.
a. stomach
b. liver
c. small intestine
d. large intestine
17. ____________ makes fluid (juice) to digest chyme and also makes hormones that
regulate blood sugar.
a. esophagus
b. stomach
c. gallbladder
d. pancreas
18. The __________ is the last part of the large intestine.
a. liver
b. rectum
c. duodenum
d. pancreas
19. Chemical digestion does NOT take place in _____________.
a. mouth
b. stomach
c. small intestine
d. large intestine
20. Put the following parts in the correct order to complete the digestive tract.
_____________________________________________________________________
a. mouth
b. esophagus
c. stomach
d. pharynx
e. large intestine
f small intestine
g. soft palate
h. duodenum
i. rectum
j. epiglottis
k. anus
Answer Keys
1. Mouth (9) and esophagus (10)
2. Small intestines (14)
3. Stomach (11)
4. Esophagus (10)
5. Liver (5)
6. Gall bladder (4)
7. Large intestines (6)
8. Mouth
9. Stomach (11)
10. Salivary glands (8)
11. b, e, g
12. b, e
13. b
14. c
15. b
16. c
17. b
18. d
19. d
20. a- g – d – j – b - c – h – f – e – i - k