27 Mind Blowing Digestion Facts Of Human Body For Kids

The digestive process is an important body function.This process helps in breaking down the complex food that we eat into simpler forms. Our body understands five primary nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.Along with these five nutrients, water and roughage are essential for the proper functioning of the body. A number of organs together make up the digestive system. Starting from the buccal cavity of the mouth, the entire digestive tract extends to the anus.The liver, pancreas, and the three pairs of salivary glands are collectively called the accessory glands that actively take part in the digestion of food. A number of enzymes are secreted by these glands as well as the stomach and intestines that together participate in breaking down the nutrients.The entire process of digestion includes five main steps. These are ingestion, digestion, absorption, assimilation, and egestion.Keep reading to understand the entire process of digestion.Are you enjoying this article about the human body? Then don’t forget to check out bioluminescence in humans and airport facts, here on Kidadl.Digestion BasicsBefore jumping into the details of the digestive process, it is essential to know that the human digestive system is broadly classified into two types: mechanical digestion, which involves the physical breakdown of food, and chemical digestion which includes the various enzymatic biochemical reactions.The digestive tract starts from our oral cavity which consists of teeth and tongue, which goes all the way down to the pharynx. The pharynx is a muscular tube, which is basically the throat and is divided into three parts: nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx or hypopharynx. It is common to the respiratory system as well.Through the oropharynx, food is pushed down to the next part of the gastrointestinal tract, which is the food pipe or the esophagus.The esophagus undergoes a muscular movement, called peristalsis, which helps to pass food down into the stomach. A flap of muscle is present at the entrance of the stomach. This is called the gastroesophageal sphincter, which prevents the backflow of food.You might not know that semi-digested food or chyme in the stomach is what we throw up. The medulla oblongata present at the lower part of the brainstem is the vomiting center. The urge to throw up and the backward flow of chyme through the gastroesophageal sphincter is controlled by this part of the brain.The stomach, from an anatomical viewpoint, is divided into three parts: fundus, body, and pylorus. The stomach is also called the gastric gland of the body. The lowermost portion of the stomach, the pylorus, leads to the first part of the small intestine, called the duodenum, through another sphincter called the pyloric sphincter. The U-shaped duodenum leads to the next part of the small intestine, the ileum, which is also the largest part of the GI tract, followed by the jejunum.In between the duodenum and the stomach, the pancreas is present. It is a mixed gland and is responsible for producing both enzymes and hormones.The cone-shaped liver, the largest gland of the digestive system is present beneath the diaphragm, and on top of the stomach. It weighs about 3 lb (1.3 kg). It produces bile, a juice that helps to break down fats and excrete out wastes from the body. Bile contains bile salts and two pigments, bilirubin and biliverdin, that impart color to the fecal matter. This bile is stored in a small pouch called the gall bladder. Bile and the pancreatic juices then fall into the common bile duct, which is connected to the duodenum directly.The small intestine leads to the large intestine, which is again divided into three parts, ascending colon, transverse colon, and descending colon. The blind portion of the ascending colon is the caecum. Numerous healthy bacteria are located here that take part in the digestion process.A finger-like projection, called the appendix, is present here, which is a vestigial organ and is currently of no use to us. It is believed that the appendix was once used to digest cellulose obtained from the plant parts.The sigmoid colon leads to the rectum, followed by the anus.Let’s understand in the next section how food is broken down in these parts of the GI tract.Digestion Process PartsThe digestive process, as previously mentioned, has five parts or steps. These include ingestion, digestion, absorption, assimilation, and egestion.Ingestion is the intake of food by our mouth, which is followed by digestion. After digestion is complete, the nutrients enter the bloodstream, which is then responsible to transport these nutrients to all the cells. This process is called absorption and is carried out by three processes: active transport, passive transport, and facilitated transport.Active transport requires energy as transportation of some nutrients is against the concentration gradient, while passive transportation follows the simple process of diffusion. Facilitated transport takes place in the presence of some carrier ions, like sodium ions.Once the blood, enriched with nutrients, reaches the different cells of the body, assimilation takes place. The cells take up the nutrients from the blood and begin to synthesize energy in the form of ATP (Adenosine Tri Phosphate). The various cell organelles participate in ATP production, which is ultimately utilized to perform all the vital body functions.The last step of the process is egestion, which includes the elimination of waste materials from the body in the form of feces. But you should also know that wastes are excreted from the body in the form of urine and sweat as well.Let’s deep dive and take a more detailed look at this whole process.As we take up food into our mouth, the teeth along with the tongue and saliva help to crush and soften it by a process called mastication. The saliva in our mouth is secreted by three pairs of salivary glands: the parotid gland (the largest salivary gland located in the upper portion of the cheek, below the ear), submandibular gland (located below the jaws), and the sublingual gland (located at the base of the tongue).Saliva contains an enzyme which is called salivary amylase or ptyalin that is responsible to break down complex polysaccharides into disaccharides. It also helps in lubricating the mouth as well as the food so that we can swallow it easily. Salivary amylase digests about 5% of the carbohydrates in the mouth itself. It is thus necessary to listen to your parents and chew your food properly while eating.By the process of peristalsis, the food enters the next part of the digestive system, the stomach. The stomach wall produces hydrochloric acid (HCL) along with an inactive enzyme called pepsinogen. This pepsinogen is activated into pepsin by the action of the stomach acid. These are responsible for converting protein by breaking it down.The gastric wall is made up of three types of cells, mucus neck cells, peptic or chief cells, and parietal or oxyntic cells. These cells have individual functions in the stomach.Along with the digestive juices, the stomach lining consists of a gastric mucosal membrane where the mucus neck cells are present, which secretes mucus. It is a type of glycoprotein that protects the stomach lining from the corrosive effects of hydrochloric acid, which the stomach produces. It also helps in the lubrication of food in the stomach.The intestines also contain a mucus layer which is comprised of goblet cells. Based upon the size, food stays in the stomach for about 2-4 hours before passing down to the small intestine.Along with the digestive enzymes that the stomach produces, pancreatic enzymes (trypsin and chymotrypsin) as well as bile from the gall bladder, act upon the semi-digested food in the small intestine.A multitude of digestive juices is secreted by the small intestine alone. These are collectively called the succus entericus (intestinal juices). Each of these enzymes performs specific functions.The peptones and proteases break into dipeptides which are further broken down by the intestinal enzyme dipeptidases into the simplest form of protein, that is the amino acids.Lipases act upon the fats and convert them into fatty acids and glycerol.Nucleases are responsible for breaking down nucleic acids into nucleotides and nucleosides. DNA and RNA are composed of nucleotides.The different digestive enzymes in the small intestine that act upon carbohydrates are maltase, sucrase, and lactase and they produce the monosaccharides - glucose and fructose.The small intestine lining is made up of specialized tissues, which contain finger-like projections called villi. These finger-like projections help in the process of absorbing nutrients by increasing the surface area.Once the breakdown of food is completed in the small intestine, the undigested food matter including the dietary fiber passes to the large intestine. Helicobacter pylori is the most common bacterium found in the caecum of the large intestine. These obligate anaerobes help in extracting the remaining vital nutrients including minerals from the food matter.Water, as well as important mineral salts, are absorbed by the large intestine walls by the process called peristalsis, thereby eliminating waste from the rectum through the anus.Significance Of DigestionThe basic requirements for the survival of all living organisms are food and water. The food that we consume is available in complex forms of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.Metabolism of the essential nutrients helps in the production of ATP, which is the energy currency of our body. The human body cannot digest the biomacromolecules in their original form, and therefore, it is crucial to break them into simpler forms for the easy absorption of nutrients in the body. This process is carried out by the digestive system via mechanical and chemical digestion processes.Therefore, digestive issues can make someone’s life miserable. Various digestive problems can take place in individuals with some kind of disease or simply due to a genetic disorder. For example, lack of secretion of gastric juices or hydrochloric acid can lead to a condition called achlorhydria. Iron deficiency or anemia can occur in patients who have undergone gastrectomy and this can affect their immune system.Rather than taking a full meal, we should consider having a balanced diet with the right amount of nutrients. Too much spicy food or junk food with a lot of oil can lead to indigestion and interfere with digestive health.Drinking plenty of fluids is a must for proper digestion. At least 72 oz (2 l) of water is required in an adult body daily.Digestive health can also deteriorate due to prolonged fasting, which may lead to intestinal gas and flatulence. Stomach growling, irritable bowel syndrome, vomiting, and diarrhea are some of the indications of compromised digestive health.The proper digestion of food will help in the maintenance of a disease-free body system.The functions of digestion are numerous.In the process of digestion, different organs work together to digest food into simpler forms, followed by the absorption of the nutrients in the blood. The blood then transports the nutrients to all the cells of our body. This process is called assimilation. The undigested food matter is expelled out of our body by the process of egestion.Apart from breaking down the complex food substances into simpler forms, digestion also plays other significant roles. These functions include cell repair by the vitamins and minerals that are digested and absorbed by the body. If you are wondering how exactly digestion takes part in cell repair, then let’s dive into the vitamin types.Among the six different types of vitamins that are essential for proper body growth and functioning, vitamin K or phylloquinone is responsible for blood clotting along with other blood proteins. This helps in the process of cell and tissue repair by forming network-like filaments in an injured area.Digestion helps in the body’s growth and enhances the nervous system and functioning of the brain. Energy is the end product of digestion, which is crucial for all the cells of the body to work. The brain cells or neurons won’t work if there is a lack of energy. Electric impulses won’t generate and as a result, all muscle coordination would fail.The nutrients that are digested by the body help in fighting off invading pathogens and reduce the chances of infections. The stomach makes the digestive acids kill the harmful bacteria that enter along with the food.The same function is carried out by saliva in our mouths. Other organs like the small intestine, and large intestine all help in the breakdown and absorption of as many nutrients and water as possible by the walls of the digestive system. Hormones also play an important role in the regulation of digestion.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 27 mind-blowing digestion facts of human body for kids! Then why not take a look at location of the pancreas in the body: curious body facts for kids, or why do we age? What causes aging? Ultimate human body facts!

The digestive process is an important body function.