What Do You Know About the Digestive System?

What happens to that cheeseburger and fries (or, we hope, that whole-wheat bread and green salad) you had for lunch? During the digestive process, food is converted into energy that's used by your body. Take this quiz to see how much you know about how digestion works.

1. How does food move through your digestive tract?

A. By gravityB. By wavelike muscle contractionsC. By ciliaD. By chemical absorption

2. Where does most of the digestive process take place?

A. Small intestineB. Large intestineC. StomachD. All of the above

3. What does the liver do to help digestion?

A. Makes important enzymesB. Neutralizes stomach acidC. Produces bileD. Regulates insulin

4. Which of these can harm the intestinal lining?

A. AspirinB. AntibioticsC. CaffeineD. A and B

5. Which of these best maintains intestinal health?

A. StarchesB. VitaminsC. FiberD. Fat

6. Which of these can cause heartburn?

A. Being overweightB. Lying down soon after eating a large mealC. Eating high-fat foodsD. All of the above

7. Which of these causes ulcers?

A. Bacterial infection in the stomach B. Aspirin and other anti-inflammatory medicines C. Chronic stress D. A and B

8. Food poisoning is caused by eating contaminated food. How can it be prevented?

A. Cooking meat and poultry thoroughlyB. Washing fruits and vegetables before eating or cooking themC. Storing food properlyD. All of the above