(4) The digestive system is made up of the esophagus, stomach, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, large and small intestines, appendix, and rectum. Digestion actually begins in the mouth when food is chewed and mixed with saliva. Muscles in the esophagus push food into the stomach where it mixes with digestive juices. While in stomach, food is broken down into nutrients and turns into a thick liquid. The food then moves into the small intestine where more digestive juices complete the breaking down of the food. It is in the small intestines that nutrients are absorbed into the blood and carried throughout the body. The leftover material that is unusable by the body moves into the large intestines where the body absorbs the water that is contained before passing from the body through the rectum.

Mary wants to paraphrase the important facts of the digestive system using bullet points.

The esophagus pushes food from the mouth to the stomach.

• Digestive juices break down the food in the stomach.
• The thick liquid moves to the small intestine.
• The small intestines further breaks down the food completely.
• ______________________________________
• Leftover material moves to the large intestine.
• The large intestine removes water from the leftover material.
• The remainder of the material exits through the rectum.

What fact needs to be included on the blank line in the list she has made for learning information about the digestive process?