Digestive System Facts for Kids – 5 Delightful Facts about The Digestive System

Do you know what is happening inside our body when we eat food? Here are five delightful digestive system facts for kids.

Digestive System Facts for Kids Fact Number 1: The Digestive System can be 30 Feet Long

The digestive system is also called the gastrointestinal tract and is made up of many internal organs which all play a very important role in digestion. There are eight parts to the digestive system including the mouth, throat, stomach, and intestines. This system can be very long, up to 30 feet in adults, that is the same size as three basketball hoops.

Digestive System Facts for Kids Fact Number 2: The Stomach Breaks Down Food with Acid

The stomach digests food once it travels from the mouth through the oesophagus, which is the throat. The acid held in the stomach helps to digest food which is moved around to break it down. This acid is very strong but it doesn’t burn the inside of the stomach. This is because the stomach creates a thick layer of mucus which protects your stomach lining from the acid. So you can digest all your favourite foods but not your stomach.  

Digestive System Facts for Kids Fact Number 3: It can Take 8 Hours to Fully Digest Food

You might feel full after a big meal and then be ready to eat a few hours later but your stomach is still storing some of the earlier food. When a fully grown adult eats their stomach can store 2 pounds of food that’s the same weight as a can of vegetables. You can eat much faster than you can digest as your body breaks the food down slowly over time.

Digestive System Facts for Kids Fact Number 4: Saliva Helps you Break Down Food for Digestion

When you eat your body creates more saliva but why is this? The saliva you make helps the food you are eating break down and soften so it doesn’t hurt your throat and so it can be more easily digested. Humans produce between half a litre and a litre and a half of saliva per day.

Chewing your food makes it easier to swallow but also helps the food cool down or warm up enough that it is the perfect temperature to digest.

Digestive System Facts for Kids Fact Number 5: Your Pancreas and Liver also Help you Break Down Food

The stomach is where most of digestion takes place but it isn’t the only organ that helps your body digest food. The pancreas creates chemicals called enzymes. Enzymes help the body create nutrients from food faster. This is how the pancreas helps digestion. The liver creates a substance called bile. Bile breaks down fat from food and allows the body to absorb it for energy. Both the pancreas and liver help the stomach digest food and are important parts of the digestive system.

We hope you enjoyed learning more things about digestive system as much as we loved teaching you about them. Now that you know how majestic this system in human body is, you can move on to learn about other ones like: Brain, Eyes, Nose, Teeth, Ears, The Respiratory System, urinary system, skeletal system, Nervous System and cardiovascular system.

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