Why your stomach churns like a washing machine, how tiny villi soak up nutrients, and why your gut is basically a second brain. Take a squishy, splashy tour through your own digestive system.
Stretched out in a straight line, your digestive system is about 30 feet long — longer than a school bus.
Your stomach acid is strong enough to dissolve a metal spoon — a slimy mucus lining keeps it from hurting you.
One bite of food can take one to three whole days to make its full trip through your body.
Your gut has millions of nerve cells and is sometimes called your "second brain" — that's where butterflies come from.
Food travels through five main stops on its journey. Tap each part of the tube below to find out what happens there.
Chewing and saliva start breaking food down before you even swallow it.
Your Stomach has churned through a lot and knows everything about digestion. Ask about enzymes, peristalsis, stomach acid, or anything else from the episode.
Ask away — I churn things over for a living.
Your Stomach is an AI and can make mistakes — always double check with a grown-up.
Snap a photo of any food and Pear AI whips up a recipe with nutrition facts — perfect for seeing what your stomach's about to work on. Get it free at kidslearninglab.com/pear.