HUMAN BODY
SYSTEMS:
DIGESTIVE AND
EXCRETORY
SYSTEMS
Levels of Organization
(Review)
HUMAN
DIGESTIVE
BODY SYSTEM
SYSTEMS
Physical and Chemical Changes
Matter undergoes two types of changes:
• Physical change
• Chemical change
…this will make more sense next year in 8th grade!
Digestion is the breakdown of food into simpler
forms that can be used by cells
During digestion, food undergoes physical and
chemical changes
The physical changes prepare the food to be
broken down chemically
Then chemical changes allow for the energy
in food to be transformed into energy that
the cells can use
Digestive System Functions
The structures of the digestive system include:
Mouth
Esophagus
Stomach
Liver
Gall Bladder
Pancreas
Small and Large Intestine
Rectum
Digestive System Structures
Physical Changes
The teeth cut and mash food into smaller
pieces
Saliva, a liquid released in the mouth, makes
food moist and slippery
Chemical Changes
Saliva contains enzymes that break down
carbohydrates into sugar molecules. An
enzyme is a protein that speeds up chemical
reaction
Mouth
The slippery bit of food is swallowed and
enters the esophagus, a tube-like structure
that connects the throat to the stomach
Food travels along the esophagus through a
process called peristalsis
Peristalsis is the involuntary movement of
the muscles that move food through the
digestive tract
Esophagus & Peristalsis
Physical Changes
The muscles of the stomach squeeze the food
and transform it into a thick liquid called
chyme (pronounced “kime”)
Chemical Changes
Proteins in the food are broken down into
amino acids by the acid in the stomach
Stomach
Food enters the small intestine as a thick
liquid (chyme)
Most of the chemical changes take place in
the small intestine
Substances from the small intestine, liver,
and pancreas help break down food
The liquid produced by the liver (bile) is
stored in the gall bladder
Small Intestine
Physical Changes The liver
Fats are broken down into smaller droplets
by a special liquid made in the liver (called
bile)
Fiber further thickens the liquid
Chemical Changes
Fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are further
broken down so our bodies can use their
nutrients
Liver & Small Intestine
The nutrients are then absorbed by finger-
like structures found in the small intestines
called villi
In the villi, blood absorbs the nutrients and
sugar molecules, carrying them to the cells
Absorption in the
Small Intestine
In the large intestine, some of the water is
removed and remainder becomes waste
material
Waste material then travels through the
rectum and exits the body at the end of the
rectum
Large Intestine & Rectum
HUMAN
EXCRETORY
BODY SYSTEM
SYSTEMS
The excretory system gets rid of waste
produced from the body’s cellular processes.
Excretory System Functions
Blood containing waste materials enters the
excretory system through the kidneys
In the kidneys, waste materials are filtered
out from the blood
The waste material, now in a liquid form
called urine, flows to the ureter, a tube that
carries urine from the kidney to the bladder
In the bladder, urine is temporarily stored
until the body is ready to excrete urine
through a tube called the urethra
Excretory System Structures
A nephron is the functional unit of the kidneys
where blood is filtered and urine is produced
Blood is filtered in a capsule
Sugars and water are recycled back into the
blood
Urine empties into the ureter
Nephron
Glossary
Digestion the breakdown of food into simpler forms that can be used by cells
Enzymes a protein that speeds up a chemical reaction
Esophagus a tube-like structure that connects the throat to the stomach
Peristalsis the involuntary movement of the muscles that move food through the
digestive tract
Saliva a liquid released from the mouth that aids in digestion
Villi the finger-like structures found in the small intestine that help to
absorb digested food
Nephron the functional unit of the kidney where blood is filtered and urine is
produced
Ureter a tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder
Urethra a tube though which urine stored in the bladder is excreted from the
body
Urine the liquid waste produced by the kidney and stored by the bladder
