QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
1. What is the main function of the digestive system?
– Answer: To break down food, absorb nutrients, and remove waste.
2. How long is an adult’s digestive tract?
– Answer: About 8 metres long.
3. Where does digestion begin?
– Answer: In the mouth (saliva starts breaking down food).
4. What role do teeth and the tongue play?
– Answer: They chew and mix food into smaller pieces for swallowing.
5. How does food reach the stomach?
– Answer: It travels down the oesophagus (a 25 cm tube).
6. What happens in the stomach?
– Answer: Food mixes with acidic gastric juices, turning into a paste.
7. What is the small intestine’s job?
– Answer: To absorb nutrients into the bloodstream (it’s 5 metres long!).
8. Why is it called the “small” intestine?
– Answer: Because it’s narrow (not because it’s short).
9. What happens in the large intestine?
– Answer: It absorbs water and forms waste (poop) for removal.
10. How does waste leave the body?
– Answer: Through the rectum and anus.