1. The movement of food throughout your digestive tract is called peristalsis
2. The functions of the digestive system are
2.1. Ingestion
2.1.1. consumption of nutrients
2.2. Digestion
2.2.1. the breakdown of food into smaller parts by physical and chemical means
2.3. Absorption
2.3.1. the taking in of digested molecules into the cells of your digestive tract
2.4. Defecation
2.4.1. removal of waste from the body
3. Processes
3.1. Ingestion
3.1.1. ●We take in nutrients/food through our mouthS
3.2. Digestion
3.2.1. The first step of digestion is physical and involves breaking down your food using your teeth ●Also known as chewing
3.2.2. ●Certain processes (like chewing and seeing delicious food!) activate the salivary glands around your mouth
3.2.3. ●When your food mixes with your saliva, it is called a bolus (Greek word for ‘ball’)
3.2.4. Your esophagus has smooth muscles that push food down into your stomach
3.2.5. The movement of food into and out of the stomach is controlled by special muscles in your stomach called sphincters
3.2.6. Along with the small intestine, the liver and pancreas make many important substances that help with digestion in the duodenum
3.3. Absorption’s
3.3.1. Small ‘fingers’ on the surface of the small intestine called villi increase the surface area of the small intestine so absorption is much better
3.3.2. Nutrient-rich blood (travelling away from the small intestine) goes to the liver
3.4. Egestion
3.4.1. Egestion is the removal of waste from your body