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Module 15

Science and Health

THE PATH OF FOOD

A DepEd-BEAM Distance Learning Program supported by the Australian Agency for International Development
 To the Learner

You have learned in the last module the organs that make
up the digestive system. This module focuses on the path of
food from the mouth to the other parts of the digestive
system.

Let’s Learn This

Follow the path of food from the mouth to the other parts
of the digestive system.

Let’s Try This

Here are boxes that tell the journey of food. Write the
number below the box where you think food passes through
during digestion process. The first box is done for you.

In the first
In the lower
part of the In the
part of the
small rectum
small
intestine
intestine
(duodenum)

In the In the In the mouth In the large

esophagus stomach intestine

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 Let’s Study This

You learned about the parts of the digestive system and

their functions. Today you’ll learn where food you eat goes.

In the
mouth.
1

In the food
tube.
In the first 2
part of the
small
intestine. In the
4 stomach.
3
In the lower
part of the In the
small rectum.
intestine.
7
5

In the large
intestine
6

This is the path of food from the mouth to the other parts
of the digestive system.

Digestion is a continues process and it is divided into stages.

a. Digestion in the mouth
b. Digestion in the stomach
c. Digestion in the intestine

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 DIGESTION IN THE MOUTH

The gateway to the digestive tract is the mouth which is

composed of the teeth that cut the food into tiny pieces, the
tongue tastes the food and guides the movement of the food
and the salivary glands which produce saliva and digestive
juice which react more easily with the bits of food.
The saliva produces ptyalin which is responsible in digesting
the carbohydrates that you eat. Food mixed with saliva forms a
paste-like combination called “bolus” which passes from the
mouth to the stomach through the esophagus.

DIGESTION IN THE STOMACH

The stomach produces a digestive juice called gastric

juice which contains hydrochloric acid and enzymes pepsin.
This juice will digest protein foods such as meat, eggs and
milk. Food will stay in the stomach for about 2 to 5 hours.
Acids break down the protein into smaller units and peptides.

DIGESTION IN THE INTESTINE

The first part of the intestine is the duodenum where the

digestive of all kinds of food is completed with the help of
enzymes coming from the accessory organ called pancreas
and liver. The pancreatic enzyme help in digestion and the bile
breaks up large molecules of fatty foods.
The large intestine have fingerlike projection called villi that
directly absorb the digested food which enters the blood and
are carried directly to the cells through out the body. The
excess food are brought to the liver and stored and then
released when the body requires.

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 Let’s Do This

Each of the following statements describes a stage of

digestion. Number them from 1 to 10 to show the correct
order.

a. Water minerals and other parts of the food are

moved into the large intestine.

b. The muscles of the stomach squeeze and mix the

food with the digestive juices.

c. Food is cut and chewed in the mouth.

d. Muscles in the throat direct them into the

esophagus.

e. In the small intestine foods that are used by the

body are absorbed.

f. The undigested foods are stored in the large

intestine.

g. Tongue pushes small balls of food to the throat.

h. Food is churned and mixed further and is turned

into chyme.

i. Body wastes are removed out of the body.

j. Through peristalsis food in the esophagus is

pushed into the stomach.

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 Let’s Do More

Trace the movement of food from the mouth to the

different parts of the digestive system. Fill in the diagram
below with the correct parts.

mouth

anus

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 Let’s Remember This

I learned that:
The path of the food is:
Mouth

Esophagus

Stomach

Small Intestine

Large Intestine

Rectum

anus
Digestion begin in the mouth as the teeth break up food
into small pieces and mix it with saliva. The tongue pushes the
food to the throat where muscles direct them into the food
tube or esophagus. Muscles in the esophagus move the food
to the stomach by squeezing along through a process called
peristalsis.
In the stomach, food is churned and mixed with digestive
juices to produce a thick paste called chyme. Chyme enters the
small intestine where digestive juices from the liver and
pancreas mix with it, for further digestion. The parts of the
food that are used by the body are absorbed out of the small
intestine into the blood stream.
The large intestine receives a watery mass of undigested
food bulk from the small intestine. Wastes are moved out of
the body through the anus. This elimination of body waste is
called defecation or bowel movement.

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 Let’s Test Ourselves

In the mouth

A. Illustrated above are boxes that tell the journey of food. Write
the box symbol below the square and copy the words inside
the box. Number one has been done for you.

In the first In the lower part

part of the of the small In the rectum
small intestine
intestine duodenum

In the food In the In the mouth In the large

tube stomach intestine

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 Check your answers on the answer key. If you got a high score,
Congratulations! It means you understand our lesson well.

Answer Key

Let’s Try This

In the first In the lower

part of the part of the In the
small small rectum
intestine intestine

4 5 7

In the In the In the mouth In the large

esophagus stomach intestine

2 3 1 6

Let’s Try This

a. 8 I. 10
b. 5 j. 4
c. 1
d. 3
e. 7
f. 9
g. 2
h. 6

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 Let’s Test Ourselves

mouth esophagus Stomach

Small
Intestine

Large
anus rectum Intestine

Let’s Test Ourselves

In the mouth

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