Your Amazing Digestive Journey
Have you ever wondered what happens to your food after you take a big bite of a crunchy apple? It does not just disappear! Your body has a special team of organs that work together to turn that food into energy. This team is called the digestive system. Digestion is the process of breaking down food into tiny pieces so your body can use it to grow and stay healthy.
The Journey Begins in the Mouth
The very first stop on the digestive journey is your mouth. Before you even take a bite, your mouth might start to water if you smell something delicious. That water is actually called saliva. Once you start eating, your teeth grind the food into smaller bits. Your tongue moves the food around and mixes it with saliva. Saliva is important because it makes the food soft and easy to swallow. It also has special chemicals called enzymes that start breaking down the food right away.
- Digestion:
- The process of breaking down food into tiny pieces so the body can use it for energy and growth.
- Saliva:
- The liquid in the mouth that softens food and starts breaking it down.
- Nutrients:
- The good things in food, like vitamins and minerals, that help your body stay healthy.
- Esophagus:
- A stretchy tube that uses muscles to move food from the throat to the stomach.
- Villi:
- Millions of tiny, finger-like bumps in the small intestine that grab nutrients for the blood.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What is the main goal of the digestive system?
- 2What are two ways the mouth helps start the process of digestion?
About this explanatory article passage for 3rd Grade
“Your Amazing Digestive Journey” is a explanatory article reading passage about Digestive System, written for 3rd Grade. It takes about 4 minutes to read (613 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.