Rocket unrolls a ball of yarn down the hallway. It keeps going and going.
"Why so much yarn?" Raven asks.
"I am measuring the small intestine," Rocket says. "I guessed it was as long as my arm."
Nova hovers at the far end of the hall. "Keep going," she says. "Your guess is a great start. Now check it."
Raven grins. "What do you notice about how long it really is?"
From the stomach, the food mix moves into the small intestine (in-TESS-tin).
It is a long, narrow tube packed under your stomach.
Stretched out, an adult's small intestine is about 22 feet long. That is about 6.7 meters!
Here the food is broken down even more.
Then nutrients pass from the small intestine into the blood.
Remember week 4? Blood delivers those nutrients all over your body.
The liver and pancreas are helpers. They send juices into the small intestine.
Those juices help break food down so the body can take in nutrients.
Food may spend as long as 4 hours in the small intestine.
Next, leftovers the body cannot use move into the large intestine.
It is wider than the small intestine, but shorter.
Stretched out, an adult's large intestine is about 5 feet long. That is about 1.5 meters.
The large intestine takes water from the leftovers back into the body.
Last, the leftover waste leaves the body when you use the bathroom.
| Part (adult) | About how long | Main job |
|---|---|---|
| Esophagus | 10 inches (25 centimeters) | Squeezes food down to the stomach |
| Small intestine | 22 feet (6.7 meters) | Passes nutrients into the blood |
| Large intestine | 5 feet (1.5 meters) | Takes water back into the body |
| Statement | True or false? |
|---|---|
| The liver and pancreas send helper juices. | ? |
| The small intestine is shorter than the large intestine. | ? |
| Blood carries nutrients from the small intestine around the body. | ? |
Terrific measuring! Tomorrow we find out where the energy in food comes from. Hint: look up!