The whole body
Nervous system
Brain
Eye
Ear
Nose
Mouth and teeth
Skin and touch
Heart
Blood and circulation
Spleen
Body defenses
Throat and voice
Lungs
Baby teeth
Liver
Gallbladder
Pancreas
Kidneys
Reproductive system
Pregnancy
Glands and hormones
Skeleton
Skull
Spine
Hand
Knee
Foot
MusclesHow does digestion work?
Food takes a trip inside your body. It is chewed in your mouth, slides down a tube to the stomach, turns into a soft paste, travels through a very long intestine where the good stuff goes into your blood, and what is left becomes poop.
Drag to turn. Pinch or use the mouse wheel to zoom. Tap a part to see what it does.
Questions people ask
How long does food take to digest?
Food stays 2 to 4 hours in the stomach and a few more hours in the small intestine. The whole trip, until it leaves as poop, usually takes 1 to 3 days, depending on the person and what they ate.
How long is the intestine?
The small intestine is several meters long (on average 3 to 5 m, or 10 to 16 feet, in a living person) and the large intestine about 1.5 m (5 feet). It fits in your belly because it is all coiled up.
What is the appendix for?
It contains immune tissue and seems to store good bacteria that help restore the gut flora after diarrhea, for example. You can live without it, and when it gets inflamed (appendicitis) it is usually removed.
Why does my stomach growl?
It is the muscles of the stomach and intestine moving and pushing air and liquid along. The noise is louder on an empty stomach, because there is no food to muffle it.
What does the stomach do?
It holds food for a few hours, mixes it with acid and enzymes and turns it into a paste that is released bit by bit into the intestine. The acid also kills many germs that come with food.
Sources
This text was written using these references:
- Digestive System · National Cancer Institute (SEER Training)
This content has not been medically reviewed.