Digestive System Vocab

The process of physically breaking down food by using your teeth or muscle contractions.

• mechanical digestion

• chemical digestion

The process of breaking down food by using your acids and enzymes.

• mechanical digestion

• chemical digestion

Proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, and fats your body needs to grow

• esophagus

• stomach

• mouth

• nutrients

A group of organs that break down food so that it can be used for energy, cell growth and repair.

• circulatory system

• nervous system

• digestive system

Pattern of muscle contractions that move food through the esophagus and intestines,

• peristalsis

• saliva

• mouth

• small intestine

Digestion starts here

• nose

• brain

• mouth

• large intestine

A tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach

• stomach

• esophagus

• epiglottis

• large intestine

A small flap of tissue that covers the windpipe, this folds down to stop food from going into the lungs.

• peristalsis

• epiglottis

• esophagus

• mouth

A muscular bag that breaks down chewed up food by squeezing and churning food along with the digestive juices

• small intestine

• stomach

• large intestine

Soft winding tube where nutrients from food pass into the bloodstream

Most absorption of food/nutrients happens here

Chemical digestion occurs here

• small intestine

• large intestine

• stomach

• esophagus