New
New
Year 8

The parts of the human digestive system

I can describe parts of the digestive system and how they are adapted to digest food.

New
New
Year 8

The parts of the human digestive system

I can describe parts of the digestive system and how they are adapted to digest food.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Major organs of the human digestive system and the order in which food moves through them.
  2. The functions of the organs, tissues and glands of the digestive system and how they are adapted to break down food.
  3. Food that cannot be digested is passed out of the body as faeces.

Keywords

  • Digestion - Digestion is the process of breaking down food into substances that can be absorbed into the blood.

  • Digestive system - The digestive system is a collection of organs that break down food.

  • Gland - A gland is a tissue or an organ that produces chemicals.

  • Adaptation - An adaptation is a feature that helps an organism to function and survive.

  • Fibre - Fibre bulks up food so it can be moved through the digestive system more easily.

Common misconception

The role of the stomach is often misunderstood as the main or only place where digestion occurs.

The lesson explores the roles of the stomach and the intestines in digesting food and absorbing nutrients.

In the third learning cycle you could choose between Task C parts 1 and 2, depending on the level of your students. You could also get them to create a model digestive system using straws, balloons, etc, to make it more engaging.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which 'N' is the N in MRS GREN?
Correct answer: nutrition
nitrogen
nucleus
Q2.
In a food chain, we could describe animals as which of the following?
producers
Correct answer: consumers
a trophic level
Q3.
Match the part of the body to the level of organisation in the body.
Correct Answer:muscle,tissue

tissue

Correct Answer:heart,organ

organ

Correct Answer:digestive,organ system

organ system

Q4.
Which of the following are organs in the human body?
Correct answer: liver
nerves
Correct answer: lungs
muscle
blood
Q5.
Which organs are part of the human digestive system?
Correct answer: stomach
lungs
Correct answer: intestines
Correct answer: oesophagus
Q6.
Match the parts of the digestive system with their function.
Correct Answer:teeth,chewing

chewing

Correct Answer:stomach,digesting

digesting

Correct Answer:intestines,digesting and absorbing

digesting and absorbing

6 Questions

Q1.
List the parts of the digestive system in the order through which food moves.
1 - mouth
2 - oesophagus
3 - stomach
4 - small intestine
5 - large intestine
6 - rectum
7 - anus
Q2.
Match the parts of the human digestive system with their adaptation.
Correct Answer:tongue,rolls food around

rolls food around

Correct Answer:stomach,churns food to break it into smaller pieces

churns food to break it into smaller pieces

Correct Answer:oesophagus,rings of muscle contract and push food through

rings of muscle contract and push food through

Correct Answer:small intestine,villi increase the surface area for faster absorption

villi increase the surface area for faster absorption

Q3.
Which of these is a function of the liver?
absorbing food
contracting to move food
Correct answer: secreting bile
Q4.
Which of these is a function of the pancreas?
absorbing food
contracting to move food
Correct answer: secreting chemicals to digest food
Q5.
Where in the digestive system are faeces stored?
glands
anus
Correct answer: rectum
large intestine
small intestine
Q6.
Which of these substances are contained within faeces?
nutrients
Correct answer: fibre
Correct answer: water
digested food