7.2.2
The Digestive System - The Mouth
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The Mouth's Role in the Digestive System
The first stage of digestion happens in the mouth.

Chewing and mixing
- The food is chewed by teeth.
- The food is mixed with saliva in the mouth.
- Chewing helps make the food smaller.
- Making the food smaller makes digestion easier.

Role of the tongue
- The tongue helps to move the food around the mouth.

Swallowing of food
- Food is moved to the back of the mouth when it has been chewed enough.
- The food is then swallowed.
- The food passes down a tube called the 'oesophagus'.
- The oesophagus connects the mouth to the stomach.
1Year 3: Plants
2Year 3: Animals (Including Humans)
3Year 3: Rocks
3.1Rocks on Earth
4Year 3: Light
4.1What is Light?
5Year 3: Forces & Magnets
6Year 4: Living Things & Their Habitats
6.1Grouping Animals
6.4Grouping Plants
6.5Classification Keys
7Year 4: Animals, Including Humans
7.1Teeth
7.2Digestion
8Year 4: States of Matter
8.1The 3 States of Matter
8.2The Water Cycle
9Year 4: Sound
9.1How Do I Hear?
9.2Pitch
10Year 4: Electricity
10.1Uses of Electricity
10.2Conductors & Insulators
10.3Making Circuits
Jump to other topics
1Year 3: Plants
2Year 3: Animals (Including Humans)
3Year 3: Rocks
3.1Rocks on Earth
4Year 3: Light
4.1What is Light?
5Year 3: Forces & Magnets
6Year 4: Living Things & Their Habitats
6.1Grouping Animals
6.4Grouping Plants
6.5Classification Keys
7Year 4: Animals, Including Humans
7.1Teeth
7.2Digestion
8Year 4: States of Matter
8.1The 3 States of Matter
8.2The Water Cycle
9Year 4: Sound
9.1How Do I Hear?
9.2Pitch
10Year 4: Electricity
10.1Uses of Electricity
10.2Conductors & Insulators
10.3Making Circuits
Practice questions on The Digestive System - The Mouth
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1Where does the first stage of digestion happen?Multiple choice
- 2
- 3What helps to move food around the mouth?Multiple choice
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