The Digestive System - The Mouth
Science: Year 3 & 4 National Curriculum, topic 7.2.2
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.
Test yourself on The Digestive System - The Mouth
Where does the first stage of digestion happen?
Which of these is true about the digestion in the mouth?
What helps to move food around the mouth?