Science Digestion

Question 1

Mouth

Answer 1

Teeth chew food into smaller pieces. Saliva lubricates the food to help in swallowing. Amylase in saliva starts to break down starches into glucose.

Question 2

Oesophagus

Answer 2

It takes about five seconds for food to pass through your oesophagus to your stomach. Smooth muscles squeeze in waves of contractions called peristalsis which moves the food around.

Question 3

Stomach

Answer 3

Food stays in your stomach for about 4 hour. Here it is mixed with hydrochloric acid that lowers the ph in the stomach and helps protease begin the digestion of proteins. It is now no longer called food it is chummed into a thick liquid called chyme.

Question 4

Pancreas

Answer 4

Adds digestive enzymes in the small intestine.

Question 5

Small intestine

Answer 5

Most of digestion takes place in the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. A greenish fluid called bile is added. Which acts like a emulsifier to break down fats. By now, the chyme has been broken down into small molecules ready to be absorbed by the villi. The small intestine molecules of nutrients pass into the blood vessels of the villi.

Question 6

Large intestine

Answer 6

Food passes into the large intestine. Excess water is absorbed into the large intestine.

Question 7

Anus

Answer 7

Faeces is then eliminated through and opening called the anus.

Question 8

Rectum

Answer 8

A mixture of waste material, bacteria, and mucus are passed to the rectum where the mixture is compacted and readied for elimination. This could take up to two days.