Feces

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/feces

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific classification?Solid or semi-solid waste material from the digestive tract
2. What is the primary biological role?Elimination of undigested material, metabolic byproducts, and microbial biomass
3. What is poop made of?Poop is made of food leftovers, cells that slough off in the gut, waste from the body, and lots of tiny microbes.
4. Why do we need to poop?Pooping removes waste that could become harmful if it stayed inside, keeping our body healthy.

Microbiome: The collective genomes of microorganisms inhabiting a particular environment, such as the human gut.
Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs): Organic acids produced by bacterial fermentation of dietary fibers in the colon.
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT): A medical procedure involving the transfer of gut microbes from a healthy donor to a patient.
Homeostasis: The tendency of a system to maintain internal stability and regulate its internal conditions.