Activity 15

 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE DIGESTIVE ORGAN'S FUNCTIONS-- Digestive ManNEW.pdf  

 

Activity 15:  Digestion: An Absorbing Tale

Challenge:  How does your digestive system work?

 

A. Food Breakdown:  

1. Digestive system--  long tube; breaks food down and takes the nutrients out of the food and our body uses them.

2. Two kinds of breakdown: mechanical and chemical.

3. Stomach- secretes HCI (hydrochloric acid)

4. Pancreas—secretes a chemical that lowers the levels of HCI.

1.  

B. Absorption of Nutrients: 

1.  Small Intestine—Villi line the inside wall.  Villi take the nutrients out of food and absorb them into the capillaries (blood stream). 

2.  Small intestine—15 – 18 feet long!

3.  Blood leaves small intestine and goes directly to the LIVER.  The liver filters the blood taking out any toxins.

4.  Liver stores Carbohydrates and waits for you to use them—energy.  If not used… they turn into fats. 

 

C.  Getting rid of solid waste 

1.  material that is left over (not absorbed by small intestine) enters into the Large intestine. 

2.  Large Intestine – Colon 

3.  In L.I  water and some remaining vitamins will be absorbed into the bloodstream.  

4.  ALL remaining “waste” will travel through the L.I taking about 18-24 hours to get to the rectum.

5.  Large Intestine--Bacteria (good bacteria) – breaks down plant material.  Also in L.I we have Vitamin K.  this vitamin helps prevent BAD bacteria from finding a home.   

6. Trade-off of having “good bacteria” is the odors and gas they produce.