Muscular contractions move and mix food along the digestive tract. Mechanical actions and digestive chemicals break large food molecules into smaller components. The small intestine provides an extensive surface for absorption. Many nutrients pass into blood, which carries them toward body tissues; some fats first enter lymph. The large intestine recovers water before remaining material is eliminated.
The human body · Discover & try
How does food become nutrients the body can use?
Reading level 3 of 5 · IndependentChange
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Digestion
Breaking food into smaller components.
Absorption
Movement of substances across the intestinal lining.
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See how it works
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Selected food and nutrient routes, not a complete digestive diagram. Many fat products initially enter lymph, which is omitted from this simplified blood route.
What to look for
- Follow food before and after the stomach.
- Find the route from gut to blood.
Explain what you noticed
A small sugar molecule has crossed the small-intestinal lining into blood. What can happen next?
Keep this idea: Digestion breaks food down; absorption transfers useful products across the gut lining.
Follow the sources
- NIH NIDDK — Your Digestive System and How It Works
- NIH National Cancer Institute — Introduction to the Digestive System
Source material checked 2026-10-28. Explanations and activities by Nepedia. Source links do not imply endorsement.
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