Download What happens to our food after we eat it? Step 1

What happens to our
food after we eat it?
Step 1: Mouth
• Mechanical digestion starts when we bite and
chew our food
• Chemical digestion starts as saliva (enzymes)
start to break down the food further
Step 2: Stomach
• After you swallow, the food travels down the
pharynx and esophagus to the stomach.
• Mechanical digestion happens as the stomach
muscles contract and squeeze the food
• Chemical digestion happens as stomach acid
further breaks down the food into nutrients
Step 3: Small Intestine
• The liquefied food (chyme) moves from the
stomach into the small intestine.
• It mixes with chemicals from the pancreas
that make it less acidic.
Beginning of small intestine/
pancreas
Nutrients absorbed
• The nutrients are absorbed into the
bloodstream through the walls of the small
intestine (villi).
Step 4: Large Intestine
• The water is absorbed by the large intestine
• This creates solid waste…feces
Problems with the large intestine
• Diarrhea: When the large intestine does not
remove enough water from the waste
• Constipation: When the large intestine
removes too much water from the waste