Science Common Sense
935 - What is the role of the digestive system, and how does it break down food?
The digestive system is like a long, winding road that food takes inside your body. Its main job is to break down the food you eat into tiny bits that can be used for energy and growth.
Imagine you're eating a sandwich. Here's what happens:
- Mouth: Your teeth chew the sandwich into small pieces, and special liquids called saliva help soften it.
- Esophagus: The food goes down a slide (esophagus) into your stomach.
- Stomach: The stomach is like a big, stretchy bag that squishes and mixes the food with strong acids and special helpers called enzymes. These break down the food into even smaller pieces.
- Small intestine: The tiny bits of food go into the small intestine, where special helpers called enzymes and tiny tiny holes called villi absorb the good stuff (like energy and nutrients) into your bloodstream.
- Large intestine: The leftover waste goes into the large intestine, where water is absorbed, and the waste gets ready to leave your body.
Your digestive system is like a recycling plant that turns the food you eat into energy and growth for your body.