Human Digestive System and Biological Science Basics

The Human Digestive System

All animals need to eat food to get energy to live. In order to use this food, they must break it down in a process called digestion. Consequently, all animals have a group of connected organs known as the digestive system.

The Process of Digestion

In humans, digestion begins in the mouth, where food is chewed into small pieces by the teeth. The tongue assists by moving these pieces around. These pieces are covered by saliva, which makes the food slippery for easier swallowing and helps break down the food.

Once swallowed, food passes through the pharynx, which acts as a gate, sending food down the esophagus and into the stomach. In the stomach, food is mixed with acid and crushed further.

After spending time in the stomach, the food moves into the small intestine, where nutrients are absorbed. The liver assists by producing digestive juices called bile. Next, the remaining food enters the large intestine, where liquids are absorbed. The remaining waste is pushed into the rectum, where it waits before leaving the body.

Digestive System Components

• Teeth, pharynx, tongue, esophagus, liver, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, appendix, rectum

Body Functions and Organs

• Heart: Pumps your blood
• Brain: Controls your body
• Stomach: Digests your food
• Lungs: Help you breathe

Human Anatomy and Senses

The 5 Senses

Sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch.

Body Parts

Head, forehead, eyebrow, eye, ear, nose, nostril, cheek, mouth (lip, tooth, tongue), chin, shoulder, chest, armpit, back, waist, navel, stomach, elbow, bottom, arm, wrist, hand, finger, nail, leg, thigh, knee, shin, ankle, foot, toe.

Bones and Muscles

• Bones: Skull, ribs, backbone, femur. We have about 200 bones containing calcium. The femur is a long bone.
• Muscles: Biceps, triceps. We have about 600 muscles, which move the body.

Scientific Disciplines

• Scientist: A person who experiments to learn (observe, record, measure, classify, predict, compare).
• Science: Knowledge gained from observations and experiments to describe and explain the world around us.
• Biology: The study of life and living things.
• Botany: The study of plants.
• Zoology: The study of animals and animal life.
• Anatomy: The study of the physical structure of a living organism.
• Physiology: The study of living organisms and their life cycles.

Perhaps I wasn't as imaginative as the other children who wanted to be astronauts or movie stars. I still haven't decided what to do, but I have a general curiosity about the world and I am interested in studying science.

Geometric Shapes

• Cube (square), sphere (circle), pyramid (triangle), dodecahedron (pentagon), prism, cuboid (rectangle), cone (oval), cylinder, octagon, hexagon.