Biology help - food and stomachs

[Katemum]

ds 5 asked today 'when food gets to your stomach does it fall into blood?'. Now he knows that blood travels around his body and that he needs healthy food and drink to be strong and healthy and grow but I would like a simple explanation of what happens to food in the stomach.
Thanks.

[ButtonMoon]

well in my simple way I would say. The acid in your stomach breaks down the food. It passes into your intestines where the goodness is absorbed into your blood and the waste is carried on down your bowel and comes out as poo!!

[Katemum]

Thankyou

[Blandmum]

YOur food it too big to 'fall into your blood' (great thinking for a 5 year old btw), and so it has to be cut up into Tiny bits, by special chemicals (enzymes) . The acid makes the food soft to let the chemicals work. They little bits leave your stomach and can pass into your blood. The bits that the special chemicals can't cut up comes out as poo.

If he is interested a half to two thirds of your poo is dead bacteria!

[Katemum]

Think I will stop at the poo. Dead bacteria may be taking it a bit far

[Blandmum]

He's love it as a factoid!

Plus rabbit eat their own poo! So never snog a rabbit. The bacteria in rabbit guts can break down cellulose in grass etc. the ravbbit can't do this for itself. The bacteria convert the cellulose to glucose but at a point too low down in the rabbit intestines for the rabbit to absorb, so they eat their poo to get the glucose!

And to think they look so cute

[Katemum]

ewwwwww

[Blandmum]

as i said, never snog a bunny!