Digestion and Excretion

Our Digestive and Excretory Systems!

Our digestive system is how we get nutrients from the food we eat. Our excretory systems allow our bodies to get rid of the excess water and waste from the food we eat and liquids we drink. 

How does the digestive system work? 

1. Digestion starts in the mouth! The mouth has teeth that break down the food into small pieces and a tongue that mixes the food with saliva. 

2. Next, the food travels through the esophagus to the stomach. 

3. The food stays in the stomach for three hours. In the stomach, the food mixes with gastric juices. The food is eventually turned into a thick liquid and passes to the small intestine. 

4. In the small intestine, the nutrients from the thick liquid are absorbed into the bloodstream. The remaining liquid moves to the large intestine. 

5. The waste (what our body doesn't absorb) is then passed through the large intestine and exits the body through the anus. 

Watch this animation to get a visual of the digestive system!

Now that you have watched the video, try pronouncing the important terms. 

Human excretory system 

How does our excretory system work? 

1. The blood goes through the kidneys. The kidneys remove excess water and waste products from the blood and turn them into urine. 

2. The ureters are long tubes where the urine goes down to the bladder.

3. The bladder is like a bag, it collects the urine. When it is full it sends messages to our brain. It is time to go to the toilet.

4. The urethra is a short tube. Urine goes down here and leaves our body when we go to the toilet.

Watch this video on the excretory system to learn more!

Now that you have watched the video, try pronouncing the important terms. 

For each of these terms, identify whether the term comes from the digestive system or the excretory system. 

1. Kidney 

2. Gastric juices 

3. Stomach

4. Urine

5. Urethra

7. Small intestine 

8. Bladder  

9. Esophagus 

10. Teeth 

Answers here: 

1. Kidney, excretory system 

2. Gastric juices, digestive system 

3. Stomach, digestive system 

4. Urine, excretory system

5. Urethra, excretory system

7. Small intestine, digestive system 

8. Bladder, excretory system 

9. Esophagus, digestive system 

10. Teeth, digestive system 

Body Systems: Nutrition

Nutrition: The digestive and excretory systems

The Digestive System

Our digestive system breaks food down into small particles called nutrients! Our muscles and organs need these nutrients to give us energy and help us grow. Once the digestive system has extracted the nutrients, it gets rid of the waste. 

Now lets go through the stages of digestion!

 

1. Digestion starts in the mouth! In the mouth, food is broken down by the teeth and mixed with saliva by the tongue. 

2. Next, the now broken up food travels down the esophagus to the stomach. 

3. In the stomach, gastric juices are mixed with the food to make it a thick liquid. 

4. Next, the food travels to the small intestine. In the small intestine, nutrients from the food are absorbed into the bloodstream. 

5. After the small intestine, the food travels to the large intestine. In the large intestine, water is absorbed from the remains. What is left is faeces. 

6. Finally, the waste, or faeces, leaves the body through the anus. 

Watch this video on the digestive system and the process of digestion!

To test your knowledge of the digestive system, try this interactive quiz!

Now that you know all about the digestive system, try to label the parts below. While you are doing this think of what each part does! 

The Excretory System

The excretory system removes excess water and other waste products from our body. 

Now lets go through the parts of the excretory system! 

1. In the kidneys, urine is produced. When blood goes through the kidneys excess water and waste products are dropped off. 

2. The ureters are tube shaped organs. The urine produced in the kidneys travels down these to the bladder. 

3. Urine is stored in the bladder. When the bladder is full it sends a message to our brain. 

4. The final organ is the urethra. Urine leaves the body through here.

Watch this video on the excretory system!

To test your knowledge of the excretory system, try this interactive quiz!

Now that you know all about the exretory system, try to label the parts below. While you are doing this think of what each part does! 

Review questions: 

1. Where does digestion start? 

2. What is the name of the tube that food travel through on its way from the mouth to the stomach? 

3. What is the difference between the small and large intestines? 

4. Where is faeces produced and how does it exit the body? 

5. Where is urine produced? 

6. How does the urine travel from the kidneys to the bladder? 

7. Where is urine stored? 

8. How does urine leave the body?