Science Common Sense

94 - How does our body process food?

Our body processes food in six main steps:

1. Mouth: When we eat, we chew food with our teeth, and saliva (a special liquid in our mouth) breaks it down into smaller pieces.
2. Esophagus: We swallow the food, and it goes down a tube called the esophagus into our stomach.
3. Stomach: The stomach is like a big bag that mixes food with other liquids that break it down even more.
4. Small intestine: The food then goes into the small intestine, where tiny tiny fingers called villi absorb the good stuff (like nutrients) into our bloodstream.
5. Bloodstream: The nutrients travel to all parts of our body through the bloodstream, giving us energy and helping us grow strong.
6. Large intestine and excretion: What's left of the food (the waste) goes into the large intestine and eventually comes out as poop.

That's how our body takes the energy and nutrients from the food we eat to keep us healthy and moving!