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Digestion Weekly Summary Digestion is a complex process that involves the breakdown of polymers into monomers.

From this portion of Unit II, you should now understand the following: 1. Digestion of Polysaccharides (starch etc.) begins in the mouth with salivary amylase, which is an enzyme. Salivary amylase breaks polysaccharides into disaccharides. 2. Food is formed into a bolus or ball and swallowed. It travels down the pharynx or throat. 3. Food then goes into the stomach where it is hit by the pepsinogen precursor pepsin. Pepsin breaks down proteins into protein fragments. 4. Food then travels into the small intestine; this is where most of the digestion occurs. 5. The small intestine is broken into three parts, the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. 6. The duodenum is the first part of the small intestine. This portion receives secretions from two places, the liver and the pancreas. 7. The liver produces bile, which emulsifies fat (breaks it into smaller pieces). 8. The pancreas produces three enzymes : a. Amylase breaks down polysaccharides into disaccharides. b. Lipase breaks down fat into glycerol and fatty acids (the monomers of fat) c. Trypsin breaks down proteins into protein fragments. 9. The food then travels into the jejunum and then into the ileum. 10. The ileum produces most of the digestive enzymes: a. Peptidase breaks protein fragments into amino acids. b. Nuclease breaks nucleic acids into nucleotides. c. Sucrase breaks sucrose into glucose and fructose d. Lactase breaks lactose into glucose and galactose (People who are lactose intolerance have a limited amount of this enzyme) e. Maltase breaks maltose into two units of glucose. Once you reach the end of the ileum the villi of the small intestine have absorbed the nutrients and transported them into the blood stream. Any remaining liquid travels to the large intestine for absorption. Anything remaining is excreted. 11. Starch digestion begins in the mouth 12. Protein digestion begins in the Stomach 13. Fat digestion begins in the small intestine (duodenum) 14. The liver produces bile but it is stored in the gall bladder 15. The liver also does lots of other things including detoxifying blood.

16. The pancreas and the stomach both produce sodium bicarbonate, which helps to neutralize the acidic pH of the stomach lining and of the gastric juice. PRACTICE PROBLEMS: 1. Which of the following is the most accurate representation of the path food takes: a. mouth, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, small intestine, large intestine b. mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine c. mouth esophagus, stomach, spleen, pancreas, liver, small intestine, large intestine. d. mouth, trachea, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine Which structure produces trypsin. a. mouth b. liver c. pancreas d. small intestine Which structure produces lactase a. mouth b. liver c. pancreas d. small intestine Which compounds helps to break down fat a. bile and lactase b. bile and lipase c. lipase alone d. bile and trypsin Which product helps protect the small intestine from harm due to stomach acids AND where is it produced. a. HCL, stomach b. bile, liver c. sodium bicarbonate, pancreas d. sodium bicarbonate, stomach e. both c and d are correct Which of the following is NOT a function of the liver? a. removal of urea b. breakdown of waste products including worn out red blood cells c. production of cholesterol d. regulation of blood sugar levels e. production of insulin f. All of the above are correct Which of the following best represents the food groups found in Yogurt: a. carbohydrates, simple sugars, protein, fat b. simple sugars, protein, fat c. protein and fat only d. carbohydrates, protein and fat

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