Here are the answers to fill in the blanks on your worksheet. These are based on the standard facts taught in the "Bill Nye: Digestion" episode.
1.
* When you think of food, think of it as
fuel for your body.
* Food combines with
oxygen to produce
energy that provides
power.
2.
* You get really
tired and
weak if you don't have food for energy.
3.
* Everything we
eat ends up in our
stomach. *(Note: Sometimes this is answered as "ends up in our poop/waste," but in the context of the digestive system flow, stomach or intestines is usually the next step discussed).*
4.
* Food enters our stomach by traveling through a tube called the
esophagus.
* Once in our stomach, powerful
muscles start to
churn (or squeeze) to help breakdown our food.
* When you get hungry your stomach muscles
contract (or growl/squeeze) to remind you to give it some food.
5.
* The acid in our stomach is
hydrochloric acid.
* It is so strong that it can break through
metal (like a razor blade).
* It is strong enough that our stomach needs a protective layer of
mucus that must be replaced every
three days.
6.
* In our
small intestine, special chemicals called
enzymes are released.
* These help to breakdown and absorb the
nutrients that we need from food.
7.
* The pyloric valve opens so food can get into the
small intestine.
* The small intestine of an adult is
6 m long.
* The small intestine of a child is
4 m long.
* The large intestine is
1.5 m long.
* Which is larger in diameter?
Large intestine (Circle one).
* Complete digestion can take
24 hours to
3 days.
* Food is pushed along the digestive system by muscles in a process called
peristalsis.
8.
* The acid in your stomach turns food into a goopy liquid called
chyme.
9.
* Food in your mouth is ground up by your
teeth.
* This process is assisted by your
tongue which helps to move your food around.
* Most of us make
1 liter (or 1 quart) of saliva a day.
10. Digestion in Animals
* Snakes can catch and digest prey up to
3 times the width of their mouth. A meal that big can take up to
2 years to digest.
* Elephants can eat around
300 pound of hay in a day.
* Do elephants digest food efficiently?
No. Explain. *Because they eat so fast and the food passes through them quickly, much of it comes out undigested.*
* Do whales and dolphins chew?
No. What do bats eat?
Insects (or fruit/nectar depending on the bat, but insects is the common answer for this video).
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of bill nye the science guy digestion worksheet.
