When people say “Have you ever heard or felt it in your stomach?

” or “Go with your gut,” they are

talking about the strong connection between the brain and the digestive system.

The stomach and intestines are linked to the brain through a special communication system called
the gut–brain axis. This means your stomach can react when you feel nervous, excited, or when you
have to make a decision. For example, before an exam or presentation, many people feel “butterflies
in their stomach.” This is not food moving, but nerves and hormones sending signals between the
brain and the digestive system.

So, when we say “Gone with your gut” or “trust your gut feeling,” it means listening to the signals from
your body that sometimes guide your decisions.

Why is our gut called our second brain?

The gut is sometimes called our second brain because it has its own network of nerves called the
enteric nervous system. This system contains millions of nerve cells that can work and send signals
independently of the brain.

The gut and the brain are connected through the gut–brain axis, so they are always “talking” to each
other. That is why emotions such as stress, fear, or excitement can affect the stomach and cause
feelings like “butterflies,” stomach pain, or even changes in digestion.

Scientists also believe the gut influences mood and decision-making, which is why people often say
“trust your gut feeling.”

THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

The digestive system breaks down food into smaller molecules, absorbs the nutrients into the blood,
and eliminates the undigested waste.

During chemical digestion, large food molecules are broken down into small, soluble units:

• Lipids (butter, cheese, oils, avocado, etc) → fatty acids and glycerol.
• Protein (chicken, fish, eggs, beans, etch) → amino acids.
• Carbohydrates (rice, bread, pasta, potatoes, etc) → simple sugars, mainly glucose.

Two types of digestion:

1. Mechanical Digestion: The physical breakdown of food into smaller pieces. Chewing, churning,
mixing.

2. Chemical Digestion: The chemical breakdown of large molecules into small molecules using
enzymes. Saliva in the mouth, acids in the stomach.
DIGESTION TRACK:

1. MOUTH (Mechanical & Chemical Digestion)

• Teeth: To cut, tear, crush, and grind food

• Salivary Glands: Produce and secrete saliva into the oral cavity. It moistens the food and
contains amylase (the enzyme) to break down starch into small sugar.
• food → bolus
• Bolus goes into the esophagus.

2. ESOPHAGUS (Mechanical Digestion)

• The tube that connects your mouth and your stomach

• A straight muscular tube (25 cm long)
• Food takes about 4-8 seconds to pass through to the stomach
• Its walls contain smooth muscle that contracts in wavy motion: Peristalsis
• Bolus goes into the stomach.

3. STOMACH (Mechanical & Chemical Digestion)

• J Shape muscular sac

• Has inner folds (rugae) that increase the surface area for the stomach
• Churns and grinds together the bolus into smaller pieces.
• Food is mixed with gastric juice (hydrochloric acid and enzymes) secreted by the stomach
walls.
• Bolus → Chyme
• Chyme goes into the small intestine.

4. SMALL INTESTINE (Chemical Digestion & Absorption small molecule)

• Tube that is 20 feet long (610 cm)

• Continues to digest food
• Food stays in your small intestine for 4 to 8 hours.
• The site where most of the nutrients are absorbed.
• It has three parts:
1. Duodenum - upper part, about 25 cm long, and connected to the stomach. Where the
digestive juices from the pancreas and liver combine with chyme, making it thin and watery.
2. Jejunum is 2.5 meters, where the most nutrients are absorbed.
3. Ileum is 3.6 meters, where vitamin B12 and bile salts are absorbed.
• How small intestine can absorp? The small intestine absorbs food using villi, tiny finger-like
shapes that cover its surface. Villi make a very large surface area, like the fibers on a towel, so
they can absorb nutrients quickly. The nutrients then move into the blood and are carried
around the body.
• Chyme (nutrients absorps) → waste product goes into large intestine.
5. LARGE INTESTINE (Eliminate Waste & No More Digestion Process)

• The site where water is absorbed.

• Waste is pushed into the expanded portion (rectum) of the large intestine.
• Solid waste stays in the rectum until it is excreted through the anus as feces.
• The appendix hangs on the right side of the large intestine.
• It is 1.5 meters long. Gets the waste from the small intestine.
• Waste stays for (up to) 10 - 12 hours.
• Waste → feces
• Feces excreted through anus

HELPER ORGANS: don’t directly touch the food, but they help digestion in big ways.

1. Liver: makes bile, which breaks down fat.

• The largest gland of the body, with a mass of 1.5 kg.

• Stores vitamins A, D, E, and K
• Stores sugar and glycogen
• Produce bile (watery, greenish-yellow substance)
• Secretes bile to the gall bladder.
• It breaks down old red blood cells.

2. Gallbledder: stores that bile and sends it to the small intestine when needed.

• A storage sac.
• The bile is secreted into it
• and stored here.
• Food that contains fat enters the digestive system
• The bile emulsifies fats in partly digested food.
• This process assists the absorption.

3. Pancreas: makes enzymes that break down sugar, fat, and protein.

• The pancreas secretes a number of different enzymes into the small intestine.
• These enzymes digest carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids.
• The pancreas secretes about 1.5 L of pancreatic fluid every day.

4. Rectum & Anus:The final part of the digestive system is the rectum and anus.

• The rectum stores the waste until your body is ready to get rid of it.
• When it's time to go, muscles around the anus relax and let the waste pass out of the body—
this is called a bowel movement.
 Digestive System – Fill in the Blank Assessment (Grade 8)

Part A – Concepts & Functions

1. The __________ system breaks down food into smaller molecules, absorbs nutrients, and
eliminates waste.

2. Large molecules must be broken down during __________ digestion into smaller, soluble
molecules.

3. __________ digestion is the physical breakdown of food into smaller pieces.

4. The enzyme in saliva that breaks down starch is called __________.

5. Food that has been chewed and mixed with saliva is called __________.

Part B – Organs of the Digestive Tract

6. Food moves from the mouth to the stomach through the __________ by a process called
__________.

7. In the stomach, food is mixed with __________ juice, which contains acid and enzymes.

8. After churning in the stomach, the bolus becomes __________ before entering the small
intestine.

9. The main site of nutrient absorption is the __________ intestine.

10. Finger-like projections called __________ increase the surface area for absorption.

11. The __________ intestine absorbs water and stores waste as feces.

12. Feces are excreted through the __________.

Part C – Accessory Organs

13. The __________ produces bile, which helps to break down fats.

14. The __________ stores bile until it is needed.

15. The __________ produces enzymes that digest carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Part D – Higher Thinking & Gut–Brain Connection

16. The connection between the stomach, intestines, and brain is called the – axis.

17. The gut is sometimes called the “__________ brain” because it has its own network of nerves.

18. The feeling of “__________ in the stomach” before an exam happens because nerves and
hormones send signals between the brain and digestive system.

19. When people say “__________ your gut,” it means listening to signals from your body that may
guide your decisions.
 Answer Key – Digestive System (Grade 8)

Part A – Concepts & Functions

1. digestive

2. chemical

3. mechanical

4. amylase

5. bolus

Part B – Organs of the Digestive Tract

6. esophagus ; peristalsis

7. gastric

8. chyme

9. small intestine

10. villi

11. large intestine

12. anus

Part C – Accessory Organs

13. liver

14. gallbladder

15. pancreas

Part D – Higher Thinking & Gut–Brain Connection

16. gut–brain axis

17. second brain

18. butterflies

19. trust your gut