Human Digestive System

Our body needs food to provide it with energy, vitamins, and minerals. However, in order use
food, we must first break it down into substances that the various organs and cells in our body
can use. This is the job of our digestive system.
The digestive system acts in stages to digest our food. Each stage is important and prepares the
food for the next stage. The entire length of our digestive system is around 20 to 30 feet!

Here are the major stages of the digestive system:

1. Chewing - Chewing is the first stage of the digestive system. When you chew your food it
breaks up big pieces into little pieces that are easier to digest and swallow. Also, your saliva is
more than just water. It has special enzymes in it that start to break down starchy food
(potatoes, bread) while you chew.
2. Swallowing - Swallowing may seem like a simple process to us. It just sort of happens. But
food doesn't just fall down our throats into our stomach. First, our tongue helps to push food
into the back of our throat. Then there are special throat muscles that force the food down into
a long tube that leads to our stomach, called the esophagus. The food doesn't just fall down the
pipe, muscles push the food along until it gets to our stomach. At the same time all this is going
on, a flap blocks off our windpipe making sure food doesn't go the wrong way. We call this
"going down the wrong pipe" and it can make us choke. This flap is called the epiglottis and,
fortunately for us, it works automatically.
3. Stomach - The next stage is the stomach. Food hangs out in the stomach for around four
hours. While the food sits there, more enzymes go to work on it, breaking down things like
proteins that our bodies can use. The stomach kills a lot of bad bacteria as well, so we don't get
sick.
4. Small Intestine - The first part of the small intestine works with juices from the liver and
pancreas to continue to break down our food. The second part is where the food gets absorbed
from the intestine and into our body through the blood.
5. Large Intestine - The last stage is the large intestine. Any food that the body doesn't need or
can't use is sent to the large intestine and later leaves the body as waste.

The Liver and Pancreas

The liver and pancreas do a lot to help the digestive system along. Both work with the small
intestine. The liver provides bile (stored in the gall bladder) that helps break up fat into smaller
bits. The pancreas provides additional enzymes to help digest all sorts of food. The liver also
processes the digested food from your blood before it gets sent to various places in your body
to be used.

MCQs!
1. What is the main purpose of the digestive system?
a. To fight off diseases
b. To distribute energy throughout the body
c. To be an instrument of communication between different parts of the body
d. To break down food
e. To regenerate cells

2. True or False: The digestive system is about 20 to 30 feet long.

a. TRUE
b. FALSE
c.
d.
e.

3. What type of proteins does saliva have that helps break down starchy foods?
a. Collagen
b. Hemoglobin
c. Enzymes
d. Insulin
e. Oxytocin
4. How does food travel from the mouth to the stomach?
a. Food falls down the windpipe
b. Throat muscles push food down the windpipe
c. Food falls down the esophagus
d. Throat Muscles push food down the esophagus
e. The epiglottis flap releases and lets food inside the stomach

5. How many hours does food stay in the stomach?

a. 1
b. 2
c. 4
d. 12
e. 24

6. True or False: The stomach is responsible for killing a lot of the bad bacteria in the food we
eat.
a. TRUE
b. FALSE
c.
d.
e.

7. The small intestine has fluids from which two organs to help continue to break down food?
a. Heart and Lungs
b. Stomach and Large Intestine
c. Appendix and Kidneys
d. Brain and Spinal Cord
e. Liver and Pancreas

8. Where is the last stage of the digestive system?

a. Small Intestine
b. Gall Bladder
c. Pancreas
d. Kidneys
e. Large Intestine

9. Where is bile from the liver stored?

a. Small Intestine
b. Gall Bladder
c. Pancreas
d. Kidneys
e. Large Intestine

10. What type of molecules does bile break down?

a. Carbohydrates
b. Proteins
c. Fats
d. Nucleic Acids
e. Simple Sugars

Human Body
The human body is a complex biological system involving cells, tissues, organs, and systems all
working together to make up a human being.

Human Body
Source: openclipart.org
Main Structures

From the outside, the human body can be divided into several main structures. The head
houses the brain which controls the body. The neck and trunk house many of the important
systems that keep the body alive and healthy. The limbs (arms and legs) help the body to move
about and function in the world.

Senses

The human body has five main senses that it uses to convey information about the outside
world to the brain. These senses include sight (eyes), hearing (ears)Hearing and the Ear, smell
(nose), taste (tongue), and touch (skin).

Organ Systems

The human body consists of several organ systems. Each system is made up of organs and other
body structures that work together to perform a specific function. Most scientists divide the
body into 11 systems.

1. Skeletal System - The skeletal system is made up of bones, ligaments, and tendons. It
supports the overall structure of the body and protects the organs.

2. Muscular System - The muscular system works closely with the skeletal system. Muscles
help the body to move and interact with the world.

3. Cardiovascular/Circulatory System - The circulatory system helps deliver nutrients

throughout the body. It consists of the heart, blood, and blood vessels.

4. Digestive System - The digestive system helps to convert food into nutrients and energy
for the body. Some of the organs included in the digestive system are the stomach,
small intestine, large intestine, liver, and pancreas.

5. Nervous System - The nervous system helps the body to communicate and allows the
brain to control various functions of the body. It includes the brain, spinal cord, and a
large network of nerves.
 6. Respiratory System - The respiratory system brings oxygen into the body through the
lungs and windpipe. It also removes carbon dioxide from the body.

7. Endocrine System - The endocrine system produces hormones that help regulate the
other systems in the body. It includes the pancreas, adrenal glands, thyroid, pituitary,
and more.

8. Urinary System - The urinary system uses the kidneys to filter the blood and eliminate
waste. It includes the kidneys, bladder, and urethra.

9. Immune/Lymphatic System - The lymphatic and immune systems work together to

protect the body from diseases.

10. Reproductive System - The reproductive system includes the sex organs that enable
people to have babies. This system is different for males and females.

11. Integumentary System - The integumentary system helps protect the body from the
outside world. It includes the skin, hair, and nails.

Cells, Tissues, and Organs

Like all living organisms, the human body is made up of cells. There are all different types of
cells in the human body. When lots of similar cells work together to perform a function, they
make up tissue. There are four main types of tissue in the human body including muscle tissue,
connective tissue, epithelial tissue, and nervous tissue.

Organs are somewhat independent parts of the body that carry out special functions. They are
made up of tissues. Examples of organs include the eyes, heart, lungs, liver, and stomach.

Interesting Facts about the Human Body

 The human body is made up of around 37 trillion cells.

  The average human heart beats around 100,000 times every day.
 If you spread out the wrinkles in the brain it would be about the size of a pillow case.
 Fingernails grow much faster than toenails. They are both made of a protein called
keratin.
 About 60% of the human body is made up of water.
 The brain itself does not feel pain.
 The largest of the human internal organs is the small intestine.
 Acid in the stomach is powerful enough to dissolve some metals.
 The left lung is typically around 10% smaller than the right lung. This is to make room for
the heart.
 Humans are born with 270 bones. Several of these bones fuse together by adulthood
making a total of 206 bones in the adult human body.

MCQs!

1. What body system is made up of bones, ligaments, and tendons?

a. Nervous system
b. Cardiovascular system
c. Digestive system
d. Skeletal system
e. Respiratory system

2. What body system uses the spinal cord and nerves to communicate with the brain?
a. Nervous system
b. Cardiovascular system
c. Digestive system
d. Skeletal system
e. Respiratory system
3. What body system helps convert food into energy and nutrients the body can use?
a. Nervous system
b. Cardiovascular system
c. Digestive system
d. Skeletal system
e. Respiratory system
4. What body system brings oxygen into the body using the lungs?
a. Nervous system
b. Cardiovascular system
c. Digestive system
d. Skeletal system
e. Respiratory system

5. What body system includes the heart, blood, and blood vessels?
a. Nervous system
b. Cardiovascular system
c. Digestive system
d. Skeletal system
e. Respiratory system

6. What body system includes the kidneys, bladder, and urethra?

a. Endocrine system
b. Integumentary system
c. Muscular system
d. Immune system
e. Urinary system

7. What body system produces hormones to help regulate the other systems of the body?
a. Endocrine system
b. Integumentary system
c. Muscular system
d. Immune system
e. Urinary system

8. What body system protects the outside of the body with skin, hair, and nails?
a. Endocrine system
b. Integumentary system
c. Muscular system
d. Immune system
e. Urinary system

9. What body system protects the body from disease?

a. Endocrine system
b. Integumentary system
c. Muscular system
d. Immune system
e. Urinary system
10. What body system helps the body to move and interact with the world?
a. Endocrine system
b. Integumentary system
c. Muscular system
d. Immune system
e. Urinary system

The Nervous System

The nervous system is made up of the brain, the spinal cord, and a large network of nerves that
covers all parts of the body. Together the nervous system helps different parts of our body
communicate and allows our brain to control what is going on. Without the nervous system our
brain would be mush. It wouldn't know anything that was going on in the outside world and
wouldn't be able to control our body.

The brain and the spinal cord make up what is called the central nervous system. The rest of the
nerves together are called the peripheral nervous system.

Nerves - Peripheral Nervous System

Nerves are sort of like wires that carry communication signals or impulses around the body.
Inside each nerve is a bundle of nerve fibers. Some nerves are really long, like the ones that go
all the way from your feet to your spinal cord. Nerve cells are called neurons.

There are two main types of nerves: motor nerves and sensory nerves.
  Motor nerves - Motor nerves allow the brain to control our muscles. The brain sends
signals over the motor nerves to tell our muscles to expand or contract so we can move.

 Sensory nerves - The second type of nerves are called sensory nerves. These nerves
carry signals to the brain to tell it about what is going on in the outside world. They
come from our skin (touch), eyes (sight), tongue (taste), nose (smell), and ears (hear).

In each case, the signals only go in one direction: The motor nerve signals travel from
the brain to the muscle and the sensory nerve signals travel from the senses to the
brain.
Within the peripheral nervous system there are also two main sets of nerves: the autonomic
nervous system and the somatic nervous system.

 Autonomic nervous system - This set of nerves works automatically. We don't have to
think about them, the brain does it all for us. It would take a lot of concentration if we
had to constantly tell our heart to beat or our digestive system to release certain
enzymes. I'm sure I'd forget and would be dead in no time! Fortunately, the autonomic
nervous system takes care of this for us.

 Somatic nervous system - These are the nerves that we actively control, like jumping
with our legs or moving our arms.

The Neuron

Each nerve is made up of many cells called neurons. To learn more about neurons, let's take the
motor neuron for example. Each motor neuron has three important parts: the cell body,
dendrites, and the axon. Dendrites are branches off the main cell body. They talk to dendrites
from the cell next to them over something called a synapse. Axons connect to the muscles and
tell them what to do.
Reflex

Our bodies are super smart. Sometimes we need to move so fast that our brains don't have
time to think. So our body just bypasses the brain. This happens when we touch something hot.
Our hand actually moves before the brain tells it to. The brain eventually finds out what is going
on, but our body has done the smart thing and moved first. Your doctor will test out your reflex
by hitting your knee in a certain place to see if your leg will move without you thinking about it.

1. What is the main purpose of the nervous system?

a. To fight off diseases
b. To distribute energy throughout the body
c. To be an instrument of communication between different parts of the body
d. To break down food
e. To regenerate cells

2. Nerve cells are called:

a. Neutrons
b. Neurons
c. Nuclei
d. Nitrogens
e. Nebulas

3. True or False: Some nerves are so long that they connect your spinal cord to your feet.
a. TRUE
b. FALSE
c.
d.
e.

4. Sensory nerves send messages to the brain about what we:

a. See
b. Smell
c. Hear
d. Taste
e. All of the Above

5. Which of the following controls the body functions you never think about, like breathing or
heart rate?
a. Central Nervous System
b. Peripheral Nervous System
c. Automatic Nervous System
d. Somatic Nervous System
e. None of the Above

6. The brain and the spinal cord make up which part of the nervous system?
a. Central Nervous System
b. Peripheral Nervous System
c. Automatic Nervous System
d. Somatic Nervous System
e. None of the Above

7. Which of the following is the system of nerves that people have direct control over?
a. Central Nervous System
b. Peripheral Nervous System
c. Automatic Nervous System
d. Somatic Nervous System
e. None of the Above

8. The synapse is specifically responsible for communication between:

a. The central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system
b. Individual nerve fibers
c. The brain and the spinal chord
d. Individual neurons
e. Axons and muscles

9. What are dendrites?

a. The electrical impulses between neurons
b. The branches off of the main cell body of a neuron
c. The connection between neurons and muscles
d. The connection between nerve fibers
e. The nerves inside of the brain

10. True or False: Sometimes our bodies can react faster than our brains.
a. TRUE
b. FALSE
c.
d.
e.

The Human Body

Across
4. The stomach and intestine are part
of the ____ system
5. Black spot in the eye
7. All the bones together make up this
10. The ____ nerve carries signals to
the brain so we can see
11. Muscles expand and ____
15. This system consists of the brain,
spinal cord, and nerves
16. What we use to taste with
17. This organ provides protection and
temperature control
20. These blood vessels carry blood
back to the heart
22. The ___ system helps to fight off
diseases
23. We see reflected ____
24. It has an outer, a middle, and an
inner
25. Outer layer of the skin
26. Cells that make up nerves
Down
1. A, B, O, and AB are blood ___
2. Sight, sound, smell, taste, and
touch
3. We get oxygen to our cells by
breathing and the ___ system
6. Knees, elbows, wrists, hips
8. This thin membrane vibrates when
sound hits it
9. Liver, kidney, heart, stomach,
pancreas
12. These connect muscles to bones
13. The cerebrum, cerebellum, and the
medulla are all parts of this
14. Large and small, part of the
digestive system
18. This organ produces bile which
helps us to digest our food
19. These blood vessels carry blood
from the heart to the rest of the
body
21. These act like "wires" sending
signals around our body
24. Two of these to help us see