Fifth Grade
Worksheets
The Scoop on Poop
From the moment that first bite of juicy hamburger touches your tongue, your body begins breaking it down into smaller and smaller pieces so it can provide your body with energy. Once your body has used up every last bit of protein, carbohydrates, and fat, what's left over is dumped. Your body gets rid of these wastes in the form of FECES (fee-sees), commonly called poop. And, yes, everyone poops.
Your body's digestive system is an amazing machine that is fueled by food. It actually starts when you get the first whiff of that burger sizzling on the grill. YUM! That's when saliva begins to form in your mouth. The saliva helps you to break down the food when you chew, making it easier to swallow. Once you swallow, that bite of burger is propelled by muscles in your ESOPHAGUS (eh-saf-a-gus) into your stomach. The process takes about ten seconds.
It stays in your stomach for several hours where it is attacked by stomach acids. The acids break it down into a soupy liquid. It is now ready to do its work. A muscle called a SPHINCTER (sfink-ter) opens up, and the mushed-up food goes into the small intestine.
