Human mouth

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/human-mouth

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 digestive initiation?Begins mechanical (mastication) and chemical (salivary enzymes) digestion of food
2. What is the lining epithelium?Oral mucosa, a stratified squamous epithelium, moist and protective
3. What happens to food when it enters your mouth?Your teeth and tongue chew the food into smaller pieces, and saliva starts breaking it down so it can travel down your throat.
4. How does your mouth help you talk?The tongue, lips, jaw, and palate shape the sounds made by your voice into words that others can understand.

Alimentary Canal: The entire passage from the mouth to the anus, responsible for digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Oral Mucosa: The specialized mucous membrane lining the oral cavity, providing protection and sensory feedback.
Mastication: The process of chewing food, involving mechanical breakdown by teeth and manipulation by the tongue.
Phoneme: The smallest unit of sound in a language that can distinguish one word from another.