2 Food and Digestion

Expected Learning Outcomes

Knowledge to be gained : • Teeth • Diges on • Micro-organisms
Skill to be developed : • How to take care of our teeth.
A tude to be inculcated : • Eat healthy, live long.

TEETH
Teeth (singular, tooth) are the hardest part of our body. ey are xed in our jaws. ey help
us to bite and chew food. ere are two sets of teeth.
Milk Teeth: The first set of teeth of a baby are called milk teeth. Most children start
developing them when they are about six months old. Milk teeth usually start falling off
when a child becomes six years old. Hence, milk teeth are also called temporary teeth.
Children usually have 20 milk teeth.
Permanent Teeth: e second set of teeth that grows when the milk teeth fall off is
called the permanent teeth. Adults usually have 32 permanent teeth.
Types of Teeth
ere are four kinds of teeth according to the kind of work they do: incisors, canines,
premolars and molars.

Incisors 1 2
Canines
Number of teeth
Number of teeth
8 (4 in each jaw)
4 (2 in each jaw)
Function
Function
They are used for
They are used for
cutting and biting
tearing food.
food.
3 4
Premolars Molars
Number of teeth Number of teeth
8 (4 in each jaw) 12 (6 in each jaw)
Function Function
They are used for They are used for
crushing food. grinding food.
The four kinds of teeth
17 Science-4
 Structure of a Tooth
The part of a tooth that can be seen above the gum is called the crown. The part of a tooth
that is present inside the gum is called the root.
A tooth is made up of three main layers: enamel, dentine and pulp.
Enamel Enamel
The enamel is the hard, white covering of the Crown Dentine
tooth. Pulp
Dentine
The dentine is the yellow bone-like layer found
just below the enamel. Root

Pulp Bone
The pulp is the soft, central portion of a tooth. It Nerve and
contains the nerves and blood vessels. Blood supply
Structure of a tooth
Care of Teeth
When we eat food, tiny bits of food particles get stuck between the teeth. If not cleaned, it
leads to the growth of germs, which usually leads to tooth decay. We should take proper care
of our teeth to avoid tooth decay.
ere are many ways of taking care of our teeth. Some of them are as follows:

(i) Brush your teeth at least twice a day, once in

the morning and once before going to bed.

(ii) Flossing helps remove tiny bits of food from

between the teeth.

(iii) Eat healthy food such as milk, eggs, curd and

green vegetables for strong teeth.

(iv) Visit a dentist regularly.

(v) Avoid eating too many sweets and candies.

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CHECK YOURSELF
A. The names of the different types of teeth are hidden in the jumbled words given
below. Rearrange the letters to find the names and match them with the correct
numbers present in each jaw. One has been done for you.
NEANIC CANINE 4
OMRAL 2
CNSSIOIR 4

OLRRAEPM 6

B. Name the following:

1. The part of a tooth that can be seen. ________________
2. The hard, white covering of a tooth. ________________
3. The yellow bone-like layer found just below the enamel. ________________
4. The soft, central portion of a tooth. ________________

DIGESTION
e process by which food is broken down into a simpler form is called digestion.

1 Mouth
Food is chewed with the help of 2 Food pipe
teeth. Saliva in the mouth makes the
food softer and easier to swallow. The chewed food passes
down the food pipe to the
stomach.
3 Stomach
The food is further broken down
into smaller pieces by mechanical
mixing and churning with the help
of chemicals called digestive juices.

5 Large intestine
4 Small intestine
The large intestine collects
Liver and pancreas provide digestive
the undigested food, absorbs
juices that help in the digestion of
water from it and forms the
food in the small intestine.
semi-solid waste. The semi-
The digestion is completed in the solid waste is removed from
small intestine and then it is the body through the anus.
absorbed through the walls of the
small intestine.
The human digestive system
19 Science-4
 CHECK YOURSELF
A. Unscramble the names of the organs in the digestive system. One has been done for
you.
1. UTHMO MOUTH
____________________
2. HOTMSCA ____________________
3. TEINSINET ____________________
4. SNAU ____________________

B. Number the following organs in the sequence in which food travels inside the body:
Stomach Anus Large intestine
Food pipe Mouth Small intestine

MICROORGANISMS
Microorganisms are tiny living things that cannot be seen by the naked eye. They can be
seen only through an instrument called microscope. Microbes (microorganisms) are found
everywhere. They grow rapidly wherever they get warmth, moisture, food and air. There are
broadly four kinds of microorganisms–virus, bacteria, fungi and protozoa.

Virus Bacteria Fungi Protozoa

Microorganisms
Some microorganisms cause diseases and harm us while others are useful.
Harmful Microorganisms
Just as microorganisms cause tooth decay, they also cause other diseases. Some of them are
listed in the table given below:
Microorganisms Diseases they cause
Virus Common Cold, AIDS, Polio
Bacteria Typhoid, Tuberculosis, Cholera
Fungi Ringworm, Dandruff
Protozoa Food poisoning, Dysentery, Malaria

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Useful Microorganisms
Many microorganisms are useful too. Some uses of microorganisms are given
below:
Ÿ ey help in decomposing dead plants and animals.
Ÿ ey help in digestion of the food we eat.
Ÿ ey change milk into curd.

New words
Milk teeth : the first set of teeth
Incisors : cu ng teeth
Canines : tearing teeth
Premolars : cracking and grinding teeth
Molars : chewing and grinding teeth

SUMMARY
v Teeth help us to bite and chew food.
v The first set of teeth is called the milk teeth.
v Adults have 32 permanent teeth.
v A tooth is made up of three main layers: enamel, dentine and pulp.
v You should brush your teeth at least twice a day.
v Avoid eating too many sweets and candies.
v The process by which food is broken down into a simpler form is called digestion.
v There are four kinds of microorganisms: virus, bacteria, fungi and protozoa.
v Some microorganisms causes diseases.
v Some microorganisms are useful.

Exercise
A. Name the following:
1. e rst set of teeth. _______________
2. e part of a tooth that can be seen. _______________
3. e soft, central portion of a tooth. _______________
4. Usually caused by growth of germs in the teeth. _______________
5. Food is chewed in this organ. _______________
6. Microorganisms can be seen through this. _______________

21 Science-4
 B. Answer the following questions:
1. What is crown?
2. What is digestion?
3. What are microorganisms?
4. State any two uses of microorganisms.
C. Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct option:
digestive anus temporary saliva polio large permanent
1. Milk teeth are also called _______________ teeth.
2. Adults usually have 32 _______________ teeth.
3. e _______________ makes food softer and easier to swallow.
4. e food we eat get digested in the stomach with the help of chemicals called
_______________ juices.
5. e _______________ intestine collects the undigested food.
6. e semi-solid waste is removed from the body through _______________ .
7. _______________ is a disease caused by virus.
D. Write T for the correct statements or F for the wrong ones. Correct the wrong
statements:
1. Dentine is a soft region found under the pulp.
2. Flossing helps remove tiny bits of food from between the teeth.
3. e food we eat is mixed or churned in the pancreas.
4. Liver and pancreas help in the digestion of food in the small intestine.
5. Typhoid is caused by bacteria.
6. Microorganisms change milk to curd.
E. Give reasons for the following:
1. Milk teeth are called temporary teeth.
2. Microorganisms cannot be seen through the naked eye.
F. Answer the following questions in your own words:
1. What are the two sets of teeth called?
2. List the four types of teeth along with their functions.
3. List three ways to take care of our teeth.
4. Differentiate between milk teeth and permanent teeth.
5. Brie y describe the digestion process in the mouth.
6. Which organ passes the chewed food to the stomach?
7. Describe the three main layers of a tooth.
8. Name two diseases caused by microorganisms.
Science-4 22
 Activity Time

A. Riya eats a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables and cleans her teeth at least twice a day.
Rohan eats a lot of chocolates and chips and drinks a lot of soft drinks. He forgets to
brush his teeth every day. Who do you think has healthy teeth: Riya or Rohan?

B. Name the teeth in the pictures given below.

C. Prepare a chart on 'Care of Teeth'. Include pictures and drawings in your chart to
make it attractive.

D. Write a report on how the following things either keep our teeth healthy or harm them.

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Sweets

E. Using tubes and balloons, prepare a small model of the digestive system. Colour and
name the parts. Use the model to explain digestion to the class.

Be a young
Researcher
You have learnt in this chapter that viruses are
harmful microorganisms. COVID-19 is also caused by
a virus named Corona virus. Find out more about
COVID-19 and how it spreads. Find out how by
wearing a mask and maintaining social distance, we
can prevent spreading of this disease. Also nd out
about the vaccines available against COVID-19.
Make a presentation by writing all these ndings point wise on a chart paper.
23 Science-4
 Let Us Visit
Visit a dentist with your parents and get your teeth checked. (Do this every 6 months.)
e dentist will advise you many things after checking your teeth. Remember those
points. Remember to also ask your dentist the following questions:
1. How to take proper care of our teeth?
2. What food items to avoid which could damage our teeth?
3. What type of brush should we use while brushing?
Write down the answers to the questions and share them with your classmates.

Subject Link : English

While reading about structure of a tooth, you have come across these words:
crown, root and pulp. All these words also have different meanings in some
other context.
Write a sentence each for these words where they do not mean parts of a
tooth.

FOOTNOTE
Tell children that digestion is an important process in our body and we should keep it in good condition so as to remain fit
and healthy.

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