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healthsheets

  • How Food Moves Through Your Body

    When you eat, food enters your digestive tract. The digestive tract is a series of organs that form a pathway from the mouth to the anus. As food moves down this pathway, it is processed and converted to waste. After food is converted to waste, it is pushed out of the body in a bowel movement.

    Outline of woman showing digestive system. Stomach breaks down food into liquid mixture. Small intestine absorbs nutrients from liquid mixtures. What remains is liquid waste. Large intestine (colon) absorbs water from liquid waste, converting it into solid waste (stool). Nerves throughout digestive tract tell muscles how fast to contract. Muscles in intestines contract to move food and waste through digestive tract. Rectum stores stool until bowel movement occurs. Anus is where stool leaves body.