What Happens To Your Food When You Eat?

Science Encyclopedia for Kids

GETTING STARTED - Into Your Body, What Is Digestion?, How Is Food Broken Down?, How Do Enzymes Work?

Your stomach is rumbling. You know you need to eat. But what happens to the food once you have eaten it? In this book, we will look at the journey your food takes through your body. Food gives you energy. Without food you would not be able to run and play. You put food in your mouth and chew it. This starts the food on its journey through your body. Everyone needs food. Food contains…

2 minute read

WHERE DOES FOOD GO WHEN YOU EAT? - What Is an Organ?, Which Organs Form My Digestive System?, The Long Journey

When you eat, food enters your digestive system. Your digestive system is a series of hollow organs. They are connected by tubes. This system stretches from your mouth, through your body, to your anus. Animals are made of millions of tiny cells. The cells group together to form body tissues. Tissues are collections of cells that carry out similar roles. They group together to form organs. Your sk…

2 minute read

WHAT HAPPENS IN MY MOUTH? - Why Is My Tongue Important?, What Does Smell Have To Do With It?

Your mouth is your first digestive organ. You eat because you are hungry and because you enjoy the taste of food. Most people are attracted to certain foods by the smell. Everyone enjoys some foods. Everyone also has foods they do not like. Your tongue detects the taste of food. Your tongue's main job is to protect you from poisonous or rotten food. You would spit out a food if it tasted r…

5 minute read

WHY DO I HAVE A STOMACH? - How Big Is My Stomach?, What Does the Stomach Do?, Are There Enzymes in the Stomach?

Your stomach is at the end of your esophagus. Food comes into the stomach from the esophagus. The stomach is a bag made of muscle. It breaks down large food chemicals into smaller food chemicals. Your stomach is part of your digestive system. It is at the end of your esophagus. The size of your stomach changes when you eat. After a meal, it holds about 2 pints (1 liter) of food. It can hol…

3 minute read

WHAT IS GOING ON IN MY INTESTINES? - A Closer Look at the Small Intestine, What Is the Small Intestine's Main Job?

Humans have two types of intestines. One is the small intestine, and one is the large intestine. Each has a different job. But both are important. They make up the final steps of digestion. The small intestine lies beneath the stomach. Food from the stomach comes here. After food is broken up in the stomach, it moves into the small intestine. By this time, it has been broken down into smal…

4 minute read

WHY DO I NEED FOOD? - How Much Food Do I Need?, What Is a Balanced Diet?

All animals need food to survive. Food gives us energy to carry out the four main life processes. These are: Animals get their energy from food. The young can then grow to become adults. Today's food will become tomorrow's cells in your body. It is important to eat a balanced, healthy diet. At different times of life, humans need different amounts of food. The more ener…

6 minute read

GLOSSARY

absorb (ab ZORB) — to soak up “best before” date (best bi FOR date) — the date by which you should eat food bacteria (bak TIHR ee uh) — the type of tiny organism that can only be seen under a microscope bile (bile) — the juice produced by the liver that helps digest fat cell (sel) — the smallest unit of any living thing decay (di KAY) — to r…

2 minute read

FURTHER INFORMATION - Books, Websites to visit

Basic Biology: Body Systems. Denise Walker. Smart Apple Media, 2007. Break It Down: The Digestive System. Steve Parker. Raintree, 2006. Exploring the Human Body – The Stomach and Digestion. Carol Ballard. Kidhaven Press, 2005. Reading Essentials in Science: Nutrition. Alexandra Powe Allred. Perfection Learning, 2005. www.mypyramid.gov United States Department of Agriculture. This site offe…

less than 1 minute read

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