Stomach - Peristalsis

In the stomach body where digestion happens, your food is rolled around, squished and smushed.

This is done by something called peristalsis.

The outside parts of your stomach are called the walls, and the walls of your stomach squeeze and push the food around your stomach so that it gets smushed up into smaller pieces.


(from: wikipedia - stomach)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Inferior Nasal Concha

Stomach - Body

Let's keep learning about the parts of the stomach in the digestive system.

We've learned about the cardia and the fundus.

The largest part of the stomach is called the body.
That's where the food stays until it is all broken down to smaller soft mushy pieces.
That is called digestion.

(from: wikipedia - stomach)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lacrimal Bones

Stomach - Fundus

Let's keep learning about the parts of the stomach in the digestive system.

Last time we learned about the cardia.

Next up is the fundus.

That is the part at the top, that helps hold extra food, stores gas build up from the stomach, and helps the stomach stretch to get bigger if it is full.


(from: wikipedia - stomach)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Zygomatic Bones

Stomach - Cardia

The esophagus opens into the stomach, and the first part of the stomach is the cardia.

At the top of the cardia is a place that opens and closes, that keeps the food and drink in the stomach from coming back up into the esophagus.


(from: wikipedia - stomach)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Palatine Bones

Esophagus

When you swallow food and drinks, first the food or drink goes to the back of your throat into your pharynx.
Next the uvula makes sure the food goes down toward your throat instead of up to your nose.
The epiglottis blocks your trachea so the food and drink don't go into your lungs.

The food goes into your esophagus. That is a long tube that goes behind your trachea and all the way down to your stomach.

When you swallow, the top of the esophagus opens up a little to let food in, then the tube squeezes several times to help your food and drink make it down to your stomach.


(from: wikipedia - esophagus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Vomer

Uvula

The uvula is part of the digestive system that helps close up the back area of your throat when you are swallowing.

It works along with the epiglottis to make sure food goes where it is supposed to, and not up into your nose or down into your lungs.

(from: wikipedia - palatine uvula)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Nasal Bone

Digestive System

We've learned the parts of the respiratory system from the pharynx all the way down to the alveoli.

Now let's learn about the other part of your throat, the digestive system.

That is the part of your body that takes the food down to your stomach to turn it into energy for you.

(from: wikipedia - digestive system)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Maxilla

Epiglottis

When you breathe, your mouth takes in air.

When you eat or drink, your mouth takes in solids and liquids.

The epiglottis helps keep your air going into your lungs, and keeps the food and drink out of your lungs.

The epiglottis is a small piece of skin below your pharynx that usually stays pointed up and out of the way so you can breathe.

When you swallow, a bone in your throat called the hyoid bone pulls it down flat and blocks your trachea, so the food doesn't go into your lungs.

(from: wikipedia - epiglottis)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Mandible

Esophagus

We just learned about the Lumbar Vertebrae


The esophagus is the tube that goes down your neck, and brings the food from your throat to your stomach.

(#1 in picture. From: Wikipedia Esophagus)

The part at the back of your throat that connects your mouth to your esophagus is called your pharynx.