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24 November, 2009

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Digestive system - quiz

Learn about digestion and test your knowledge of the digestive system with our quick health quiz. How important are the liver, the stomach and saliva to digestion? The answers are here.

1. Where does digestion begin?
A. Mouth.
B. Oesophagus.
C. Stomach.

2. What is the digestive tract?
A. A finger-like protrusion attached to the small intestine that has no known function.
B. The collective name for the internal organs of digestion, including the liver and pancreas.
C.The 10m long muscular tube that starts at the mouth and ends at the anus.

3. What is peristalsis?
A. A type of indigestion characterised by frequent burping.
B. Muscular actions of the digestive tract that help to massage food along its length.
C. The collection of small, periscope-shaped organs that contribute to digestion by secreting enzymes into the stomach.

4. How does the stomach help to break down food?
A. It compacts swallowed food into small, easily managed balls.
B. It churns the food and mixes it with gastric juices.
C. It combines the food with water so that it can pass more easily into the small intestine.

5. What are the two main functions of the pancreas?
A. The manufacture of digestive juices and the production of the hormone insulin.
B. The storage of bile and the production of the hormone oestrogen.
C. The filtering of waste products and the manufacture of immune system cells.

6. How does the liver contribute to digestion?
A. It grinds food into tiny particles.
B. It removes excess water and returns it to the bloodstream.
C. It processes food nutrients.

7. Food nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream from which part of the digestive system?
A. The stomach.
B. The small intestine.
C. The liver.

8. What is the rectum?
A. The temporary storage area for faeces.
B. Another name for the anus.
C. An organ that secretes digestive enzymes into the small intestine.

Your score is:

Score 0 to 2:
It might help if you learn more about where your food is going and how it gets there.

Score 3 to 5:
You know a bit about the digestive system but a bit more knowledge in this area would be a good idea.

Score 6 to 8:
Congratulations, you show a great understanding of the digestive system and how it works.

> Check the correct answers. You might also be interested in:
Digestive system.
Flatulence.
Heartburn is a form of indigestion.
Liver explained.
Pancreas.

Want to know more?
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This page has been produced in consultation with, and approved by:

Canberra Hospital - Gastroenterology Unit

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Last updated: October 2008

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