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Digestion and Nutrient Absorption

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Digestion and Nutrient Absorption

Follow food on its journey through the digestive system. Use the information on this page to solve the challenges. For written responses, explain your thinking in complete sentences.

Track the food

After food is swallowed, it travels through the oesophagus to the stomach, then to the small intestine and the large intestine. The pancreas releases digestive enzymes into the small intestine to help break down food. The liver makes bile, which breaks large fat globules into smaller droplets so enzymes can digest them more easily.

1.Which sequence shows the correct route food takes after it is swallowed?

Stomach → oesophagus → small intestine → large intestine
Oesophagus → stomach → small intestine → large intestine
Oesophagus → large intestine → stomach → small intestine
Small intestine → stomach → oesophagus → large intestine

2.The pancreas is not part of the tube food travels through. What does it contribute to digestion?

3.The liver makes bile. How does bile help with digestion?

The small intestine: an absorption hub

Digestion breaks food into small molecules that can pass through the wall of the small intestine. Its lining has many tiny finger-like villi, which provide a large surface area. Most digested nutrients pass through this lining into blood vessels; many fats enter lymph vessels first. The blood carries absorbed nutrients around the body. Body cells use glucose to release energy. The large intestine absorbs much of the remaining water, and waste is eventually removed from the body.

4.Why are villi useful for absorbing nutrients?

They make the food travel more slowly through the oesophagus.
They create a large surface area for nutrients to pass through the intestine wall.
They produce bile to digest fats.
They store waste until it leaves the body.

5.A molecule of glucose has been absorbed from the small intestine. Where does it go next, and how can the body use it?

6.True or false: Most nutrient absorption happens in the stomach. Correct the statement if it is false.

TrueFalse

7.Match each structure to its main role in digestion.

Mouth
Stomach
Small intestine
Large intestine

Churns food; acid and enzymes help digest proteins
Absorbs much of the remaining water
Completes much digestion and absorbs most nutrients
Chews food; saliva begins breaking down some carbohydrates

Solve the digestion case

Chloe rushes through lunch, barely chewing, then feels uncomfortably full. Later, she plays netball. Chewing breaks food into smaller pieces and mixes it with saliva, which begins carbohydrate digestion. Eating at a comfortable pace gives time to chew well and notice fullness. Carbohydrates can be digested into glucose, an energy source for the body. Protein is used for growth and repair. Very greasy foods may take longer to digest and feel uncomfortable during exercise; lollies provide mostly quick sugars and are not a balanced meal. Think about what digestion does—not just what a food contains.

8.Explain two ways chewing and eating at a comfortable pace help digestion. Avoid claiming that chewing alone absorbs nutrients.

9.Chloe is choosing between a familiar sandwich with lean chicken and salad, a very greasy meal, or lollies just before netball. Choose a sensible option and explain how carbohydrates and protein can be useful to her body. Give one reason the other options may be less suitable right before exercise.

10.A student says, “The large intestine absorbs all the nutrients, and the small intestine mainly stores food.” Rewrite this explanation so it is scientifically accurate.