The Digestive System Book

Through engaging text, readers learn about the human body's digestive system, which turns the foods you eat into substances your body can use. This book explains how food moves through the digestive system. Readers learn that chewing breaks food into small pieces and helps saliva reach all of the food. The tongue's duties, which are to mix the food with saliva, position the food within the mouth, form food pieces into a bolus, and finally push the bolus to the back of the mouth, are also discussed. Other topics discussed include the pharynx, or throat, the esophagus, the large intestine, and the small intestine, and the pancreas, which releases enzymes, such as amylase and maltase to break down carbohydrates, trypsin to break down proteins, and lipase to break down fats to break down food into its individual nutrients. Readers will learn how extra gas gets into the body, how it escapes, and how to prevent it. Digestive problems, such as indigestion, and ways to keep the digestive system working properly, including a healthy diet with plenty of fiber, are also highlighted. Full-color photos, detailed diagrams, medical models, phonetics, glossary, and index enhance the text.