Name:_________________________ ___Date: Class:

Getting the Idea: The _____________________ your cells use to produce energy comes from
the food you eat. Breaking food down for energy also produces wastes. Those wastes must be
removed from the body. _______________ of your body systems break food down into
_______________________ forms and __________________ wastes products from your body.

The Digestive System: the ______________________ system is the group of organs that break
food down into ____________________________ that are small enough to be absorbed by and
__________________________________________ throughout the body.

The Digestive System

Digestion begins in the ___________________as your teeth grind, crush, and break apart your
food. Breaking food into smaller pieces is known as___________________________ digestion.

As you chew your food, your tongue moves the food around and mixes it with
________________________. Saliva moistens the food so it is easier to swallow. Saliva also
contains a ___________________________that begins to break down starches and sugars. An
enzyme is a protein that speeds up a ___________________________________ reaction.

When food has been chewed enough, it is moved to the back of the mouth for swallowing. After
food is __________________________, it passes the ___________________________, a
______________ of tissue that covers the opening of the trachea to keep food out. The food then
moves into the esophagus. The _____________________________is a muscular tube that
___________________________the mouth to the stomach. Contractions of the muscles in the
wall of the esophagus push the food toward the stomach. These contractions are
called_____________________________________.

*Mouth and Esophagus:

Mouth
• _______________ - break up the food. (______________________________ Digestion)
• __________________ - chemical in the mouth that begins digestion.
(_________________________________Digestion)
Esophagus
• Tube that connects the mouth to the stomach.

*The Stomach:
The stomach is a __________________________organ. It continues ______________________
digestion by contracting and squeezing its contents. Glands in the stomach produce
_________________ and ______________ that continue to break food molecules apart through
____________________________ digestion.

*The Small Intestine:

Food remains in the stomach for several __________________. The stomach digests the food
into a ____________________. This liquid then enters the _____________________________
_______________________________, a long, muscular tube where the body absorbs nutrients
from food.

*The Pancreas:
The ________________________ is a __________________ that releases digestive enzymes
and other chemicals into the small intestine. Some of these substances neutralize stomach acids,
which would otherwise damage the lining of the intestine and prevent enzymes from doing their
job. The liver also helps with digestion in the small intestine. The _____________ is an organ
that makes __________________, a liquid that helps to break down fat. The bile produced by the
liver is temporarily ______________________ in the _____________ bladder.

*Villi:
Once food is digested, nutrients are absorbed through the ___________________ of the small
intestine. The walls of the ____________________ _______________________have many folds
called ____________________, which increase the surface area that can absorb digested food.
________________________enter the bloodstream through the ____________________ in the
villi. The ____________________then transports the nutrients to all the cells of the body. Any
undigested material left in the small intestine is moved by ________________________into the
________________intestine. Peristalsis is _____________________ of muscle
_______________________________________ that pushes food through the digestive tract.

*The Large Intestine:

The large intestine is an organ of ______________ the digestive system and the excretory
system. Its role in digestion is to _________________ water from the undigested material. The
large intestine also ______________________ the solid wastes that remain from undigested
food.

The remaining material is ready for elimination from the body. The _____________________a
short ______________ that is the last portion of the large intestine. Waste material is pressed
into a solid form. Waste material_______________ through the________________, a muscular
___________________________at the end of the rectum.