Digestive System Worksheet Matching Exercise

Let's solve this step-by-step.

We are given a list of 20 digestive system functions, and we need to match each with the correct term from the provided list (A–T). Then, we’ll answer the final question about foods/drinks that help the digestive system work properly.

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Step 1: Understand the terms

Here’s a quick review of the key organs and structures:

- Oral cavity – Mouth; includes teeth, tongue, saliva.
- Saliva – Moistens food and starts digestion (amylase).
- Teeth – Chew and break down food.
- Tongue – Helps mix food and push it into esophagus.
- Epiglottis – Flap that covers trachea during swallowing.
- Esophagus – Tube that moves food from mouth to stomach.
- Stomach – Breaks down food using gastric juices.
- Gastric juices – Acid and enzymes in the stomach.
- Pancreas – Produces digestive enzymes and bicarbonate.
- Liver – Produces bile; detoxifies substances.
- Gall bladder – Stores bile from liver.
- Bile – Helps digest fats.
- Small intestine – Main site for nutrient absorption (22 ft long).
- Large intestine (colon) – Absorbs water; forms waste.
- Rectum – Stores feces before elimination.
- Anus – Exit point for waste.
- Appendix – Vestigial organ (no major function now).
- Digestion – The process of breaking down food.
- Trachea – Windpipe (not part of digestion, but mentioned).

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Step 2: Match each function

Now go through each numbered statement and match it with the best term.

1. Helps break down food; kills any bacteria in the food
→ Stomach (uses acid and enzymes)
✔ Q. Stomach

2. 22 foot long; place body absorbs proteins, nutrients, fats
→ Small intestine is ~22 feet long and main absorption site
✔ P. Small intestine

3. Stores food; breaks it down into a mixture
→ Stomach stores food and mixes it into chyme
✔ Q. Stomach

4. Flap preventing food from entering windpipe
→ Epiglottis closes over trachea when swallowing
✔ E. Epiglottis

5. The windpipe where food should not go
→ Trachea is the windpipe
✔ T. Trachea

6. Moves food from the back of the throat to the stomach
→ Esophagus transports food via peristalsis
✔ G. Esophagus

7. Includes the saliva, teeth, and tongue
→ Oral cavity contains all these
✔ L. Oral cavity

8. Spit that breaks down food inside the mouth
→ Saliva contains amylase that starts starch digestion
✔ O. Saliva

9. Helps break down food in the mouth when you chew
→ Teeth mechanically break down food
✔ R. Teeth

10. Helps move food into the opening of the esophagus
→ Tongue pushes food toward the pharynx
✔ S. Tongue

11. The process of food being broken down
→ This is digestion
✔ D. Digestion

12. The exit through which waste leaves the body
→ Anus is the opening for feces
✔ A. Anus

13. End of large intestine where waste is pushed out
→ Rectum holds waste before expulsion
✔ N. Rectum

14. No longer serves a purpose but can become infected
→ Appendix is vestigial and can get inflamed
✔ B. Appendix

15. Last place and last chance for body to absorb nutrients
→ Large intestine absorbs water and some vitamins, but most nutrients are absorbed earlier. However, small intestine is the primary site. But "last chance" could be interpreted as large intestine, though technically small intestine is the main absorber. Wait — actually, large intestine absorbs water and electrolytes, not nutrients like proteins/fats. So maybe small intestine is still the main one.

But let’s re-evaluate: The small intestine is the main site of nutrient absorption. The large intestine absorbs water and some vitamins (from gut bacteria), but not significant amounts of proteins or fats.

So “last place and last chance” likely refers to large intestine absorbing what’s left.

✔ J. Large intestine

16. Receives all waste products body does not need
→ Colon (large intestine) receives undigested material and forms feces
✔ J. Large intestine (same as above)

Wait — both 15 and 16 are pointing to large intestine? Let's check.

Actually, colon = large intestine, so yes.

But 15 says "last chance to absorb nutrients" — large intestine does absorb some nutrients (like vitamin K from bacteria), but mostly water.

Still, it's acceptable.

16. "Receives all waste products body does not need" — yes, colon receives indigestible waste.

So both 15 and 16 → J. Large intestine

But wait — perhaps there's a better fit?

Let’s look at H. Gall bladder — stores bile, not waste.

M. Pancreas — makes enzymes, not waste receiver.

So yes, J. Large intestine fits both.

But let’s see if they’re distinct.

Wait — 15: "last place and last chance to absorb nutrients" → large intestine (absorbs water, some vitamins)

16: "receives all waste products body does not need" → large intestine (yes, receives chyme from small intestine, then forms feces)

So both can be J. Large intestine

But is there a better term?

Wait — K. Colon is listed separately? No — J. Large intestine and K. Colon — are they the same?

Yes — colon is part of large intestine. Often used interchangeably.

But in the list:
- J. Large intestine
- K. Colon

Are they different?

In biology, large intestine includes colon, rectum, and anus.

So colon is a part of large intestine.

But here, J. Large intestine and K. Colon are separate options.

So likely, K. Colon is the more specific term.

Let’s check:

15. Last place and last chance to absorb nutrients → Colon (part of large intestine)
16. Receives all waste products → Colon (receives from small intestine)

But large intestine is broader.

However, since K. Colon is an option, and it’s the main part, maybe use K for both?

But we can’t assign two answers to one letter.

Wait — perhaps 15 is J. Large intestine, 16 is K. Colon?

But they're essentially the same.

Alternatively, maybe 15 is J, and 16 is K, but that’s redundant.

Better to assume J. Large intestine and K. Colon are synonymous.

But let’s check other clues.

Looking ahead:

17. Makes juices that help your body digest fats and proteins
→ Pancreas produces pancreatic juice (contains lipases, proteases)
✔ M. Pancreas

18. Filters out anything harmful to your body
→ Liver detoxifies toxins
✔ K. Liver

19. Helps absorb fats into the bloodstream
→ Bile helps emulsify fats, aiding absorption in small intestine
But bile itself doesn't absorb — it helps. The small intestine absorbs fats.

But bile is produced by liver, stored in gall bladder.

But bile helps fat absorption.

So 19 → C. Bile

20. Stores bile from the liver until your body needs it
→ Gall bladder
✔ H. Gall bladder

Back to 15 and 16.

Let’s list all:

15. Last place and last chance to absorb nutrients → Large intestine (water, vitamins)
→ J. Large intestine

16. Receives all waste products body does not need → Colon (since colon receives undigested material)
→ K. Colon

But again, colon is part of large intestine.

But since both are listed, and colon is the main tube receiving waste, maybe K. Colon for 16.

But 15 — “last chance to absorb nutrients” — large intestine absorbs some nutrients (vitamins), so J. Large intestine

So:

15 → J
16 → K

That works.

But let’s confirm.

Also, 14: Appendix → B

13: Rectum → N

12: Anus → A

11: Digestion → D

10: Tongue → S

9: Teeth → R

8: Saliva → O

7: Oral cavity → L

6: Esophagus → G

5: Trachea → T

4: Epiglottis → E

3: Stomach → Q

2: Small intestine → P

1: Stomach → Q

Wait — both 1 and 3 are stomach?

Yes — both describe stomach.

1: Helps break down food; kills bacteria → stomach (acid kills bacteria)

3: Stores food; breaks into mixture → stomach

So both 1 and 3 → Q. Stomach

Okay.

Now 17: Makes juices that help digest fats and proteins → Pancreas → M

18: Filters out harmful things → Liver → K

Wait — K. Liver is listed.

But earlier I said 18 → K. Liver

But K. Colon is also listed.

Wait — look at the list:

A. Anus
B. Appendix
C. Bile
D. Digestion
E. Epiglottis
F. ? (missing?)
Wait — no F.

List:

A. Anus
B. Appendix
C. Bile
D. Colon
E. Digestion
F. Epiglottis
G. Esophagus
H. Gall bladder
I. Gastric juices
J. Large intestine
K. Liver
L. Oral cavity
M. Pancreas
N. Rectum
O. Saliva
P. Small intestine
Q. Stomach
R. Teeth
S. Tongue
T. Trachea

Wait — D. Colon? No — in the original image:

> D. Colon
> E. Digestion
> F. Epiglottis
> G. Esophagus
> H. Gall bladder
> I. Gastric juices
> J. Large intestine
> K. Liver
> L. Oral cavity
> M. Pancreas
> N. Rectum
> O. Saliva
> P. Small intestine
> Q. Stomach
> R. Teeth
> S. Tongue
> T. Trachea

So D. Colon — but earlier I thought D was Digestion, but no — D is Colon, E is Digestion

Wait — let's double-check the original:

> D. Colon
> E. Digestion
> F. Epiglottis
> G. Esophagus
> H. Gall bladder
> I. Gastric juices
> J. Large intestine
> K. Liver
> L. Oral cavity
> M. Pancreas
> N. Rectum
> O. Saliva
> P. Small intestine
> Q. Stomach
> R. Teeth
> S. Tongue
> T. Trachea

Yes — so D. Colon, E. Digestion

So Colon is D, Large intestine is J

But colon and large intestine are often used interchangeably.

But in anatomy, large intestine includes colon, rectum, anus.

So colon is a part of large intestine.

But here, D. Colon and J. Large intestine — so likely D is colon, J is large intestine.

So:

15. Last place and last chance to absorb nutrients → Large intestine → J

16. Receives all waste products → Colon → D

Because colon receives waste from small intestine.

13. End of large intestine where waste is pushed out → Rectum → N

12. Exit where waste leaves → Anus → A

11. Process of food being broken down → Digestion → E

10. Helps move food into opening of esophagus → Tongue → S

9. Helps break down food in mouth when chewing → Teeth → R

8. Spit that breaks down food → Saliva → O

7. Includes saliva, teeth, tongue → Oral cavity → L

6. Moves food from back of throat to stomach → Esophagus → G

5. Windpipe → Trachea → T

4. Flap preventing food from entering windpipe → Epiglottis → F

3. Stores food; breaks into mixture → Stomach → Q

2. 22 ft long; absorbs proteins, nutrients, fats → Small intestine → P

1. Helps break down food; kills bacteria → Stomach → Q

17. Makes juices that help digest fats and proteins → Pancreas → M

18. Filters out harmful things → Liver → K

19. Helps absorb fats into bloodstream → Bile → C

20. Stores bile → Gall bladder → H

Now check 15 and 16:

15. Last place and last chance to absorb nutrients → Large intestine → J

16. Receives all waste products → Colon → D

But colon is part of large intestine, so why not just J?

But since D. Colon is an option, and it's the tube that receives waste, it's fine.

Similarly, 13 is rectum → N

Now let’s compile:

| # | Function | Answer |
|---|--------|--------|
| 1 | Helps break down food; kills bacteria | Q. Stomach |
| 2 | 22 foot long; absorbs proteins, nutrients, fats | P. Small intestine |
| 3 | Stores food; breaks into mixture | Q. Stomach |
| 4 | Flap preventing food from entering windpipe | F. Epiglottis |
| 5 | The windpipe where food should not go | T. Trachea |
| 6 | Moves food from back of throat to stomach | G. Esophagus |
| 7 | Includes saliva, teeth, and tongue | L. Oral cavity |
| 8 | Spit that breaks down food inside mouth | O. Saliva |
| 9 | Helps break down food in mouth when you chew | R. Teeth |
|10 | Helps move food into opening of esophagus | S. Tongue |
|11 | The process of food being broken down | E. Digestion |
|12 | The exit through which waste leaves the body | A. Anus |
|13 | End of large intestine where waste is pushed out | N. Rectum |
|14 | No longer serves a purpose but can become infected | B. Appendix |
|15 | Last place and last chance to absorb nutrients | J. Large intestine |
|16 | Receives all waste products body does not need | D. Colon |
|17 | Makes juices that help digest fats and proteins | M. Pancreas |
|18 | Filters out anything harmful to your body | K. Liver |
|19 | Helps absorb fats into the bloodstream | C. Bile |
|20 | Stores bile from liver until needed | H. Gall bladder |

Note: 15 and 16 are close, but large intestine includes colon, so 15 is J, 16 is D.

But D. Colon is listed, and J. Large intestine — so it's okay.

Now, final question:

> Which kinds of food or drink are best for helping the digestive system work properly?

Answer:
Foods high in fiber (like fruits, vegetables, whole grains), plenty of water, probiotic foods (like yogurt, kefir), lean proteins, healthy fats (like avocados, nuts), and avoiding excessive processed foods, sugar, and alcohol help the digestive system function well.

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Final Answer:

Matching:

1. Q
2. P
3. Q
4. F
5. T
6. G
7. L
8. O
9. R
10. S
11. E
12. A
13. N
14. B
15. J
16. D
17. M
18. K
19. C
20. H

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Answer to Question:

Foods and drinks that are best for the digestive system include:
- High-fiber foods (e.g., fruits, vegetables, whole grains)
- Plenty of water
- Probiotic-rich foods (e.g., yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut)
- Lean proteins and healthy fats
- Avoiding excessive processed foods, sugar, and alcohol

These support healthy digestion, prevent constipation, and maintain a balanced gut microbiome.