DigestionThe route food takes, how long each stage lasts, and what happens there.Body & healthA journey of about nine metres, taking roughly one to three days end to end.1Mouth — 1 minuteChewing breaks food up; saliva starts on the starches.2Oesophagus — 10 secondsMuscular waves push food down. Gravity is not required.3Stomach — 2 to 4 hoursAcid and enzymes break down protein; food becomes a liquidcalled chyme.4Small intestine — 3 to 6 hoursWhere nearly all nutrients are absorbed, through villi that give it ahuge surface area.5Large intestine — 12 to 48 hoursWater is reclaimed; gut bacteria ferment what is left.HELPERS, NOT PART OF THE TUBELiver — makes bile, processes everything absorbedGallbladder — stores bile, releases it for fatsPancreas — enzymes for all three food groups, plus insulinThe small intestine is longer than the large one. It is named for itsdiameter, not its length.Digestionlearnposters.com
Digestion — printable health wall chart from LearnPosters. Free vector PDF, US Letter and A4.

Digestion, step by step

A journey of about nine metres, taking roughly one to three days end to end.

  1. Mouth — 1 minuteChewing breaks food up; saliva starts on the starches.
  2. Oesophagus — 10 secondsMuscular waves push food down. Gravity is not required.
  3. Stomach — 2 to 4 hoursAcid and enzymes break down protein; food becomes a liquid called chyme.
  4. Small intestine — 3 to 6 hoursWhere nearly all nutrients are absorbed, through villi that give it a huge surface area.
  5. Large intestine — 12 to 48 hoursWater is reclaimed; gut bacteria ferment what is left.

Helpers, not part of the tube

  • Liver — makes bile, processes everything absorbed
  • Gallbladder — stores bile, releases it for fats
  • Pancreas — enzymes for all three food groups, plus insulin

The small intestine is longer than the large one. It is named for its diameter, not its length.

Questions about the Digestion poster

What’s on the Digestion poster?
5 numbered steps, with a full worked run-through. A journey of about nine metres, taking roughly one to three days end to end. Mouth — 1 minute — Chewing breaks food up; saliva starts on the starches.; Oesophagus — 10 seconds — Muscular waves push food down. Gravity is not required.; Stomach — 2 to 4 hours — Acid and enzymes break down protein; food becomes a liquid c…; Small intestine — 3 to 6 hours — Where nearly all nutrients are absorbed, through vil…; Large intestine — 12 to 48 hours — Water is reclaimed; gut bacteria ferment what is l…. The small intestine is longer than the large one. It is named for its diameter, not its length.
Who is the Digestion poster for?
Digestion belongs to the Body & health section rather than to a school year, because health is not something one grade owns. Anyone learning anatomy can pin it up — a beginner, a student mid-course, or someone revising years later.
When should you use the Digestion poster?
Most absorption happens in one organ. Everything before it is preparation. A wall chart earns its place by being glanceable from where the work is happening, so Digestion belongs on the wall where that health work actually happens, within glancing distance, rather than filed away.
What other posters go with Digestion?
Blood, Blood Types and The Body Systems sit alongside Digestion in the Body & health section. Printed together they make a wall rather than a single sheet, which is how a reference set actually gets used.BloodBlood TypesThe Body Systems
Is the Digestion poster free to download and print?
Yes. Digestion downloads as a free PDF with no account, no email and no watermark, like everything else in the Body & health section. Print as many copies as you like for a home, a classroom, a library or a tutoring group; reselling the file is the only thing the licence rules out.Read the licence
What size does the Digestion poster print at?
Digestion is a vector PDF laid out for US Letter, and prints on A4 with Fit to page — the same file, no separate download. Because every mark on it is drawn rather than photographed, it stays sharp enlarged to A3, A2 or A1 at a copy shop. Colour carries emphasis only, so a greyscale print of Digestion loses nothing.Printing guide

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Charts that sit alongside Digestion on the same wall.

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