Digestion happens when the food you eat is broken down into nutrients. Nutrients are things your body needs to keep you healthy.

The first part of digestion happens in your mouth. Your teeth, tongue, and saliva, or spit, all help to start breaking down food.

After your mouth finishes, the food (which is all mashed up now) goes down your esophagus, or throat, and into your stomach. Your stomach turns the food into a liquidy mixture.

Then, the food goes into the small intestine. The small intestine is a long tube that is not really small at all. In adults, it is actually about 22 feet long when stretched out! The job of the small intestine is to take all of the nutrients out of the food. Then the nutrients are put into your blood stream. Your blood moves the nutrients all through your body.

Next, any remaining food goes into the large intestine. It is called the large intestine because it is thicker than the small intestine. The large intestine is about five feet long when spread out. Whatever is left of the food leaves the body. It is flushed down the toilet.