Biochem of Digestion Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 3 things that food is broken down into?

A

Carbs
Fats
Proteins

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2
Q

What are carbs broken down into?

A

disaccharides & monosaccharides

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3
Q

What are proteins broken down into?

A

peptides–>AA & di or tripeptides

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4
Q

What are the 3 things that fats can be broken down into?

A

Free Fatty Acids
MAG
DAG

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5
Q

What is MAG broken down into?

A

glycerol

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6
Q

Fat is ingested as ____ but is broken down to ___ & ____.

A

Ingested as TAG

Broken down to fatty acids & MAG

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7
Q

What are the 3 phases of digestion?

A

Mechanical Phase
Hydrolysis
Transport

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8
Q

Where does the mechanical phase of digestion take place?

A

Lubrication in the mouth.

Peristalsis in the stomach.

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9
Q

Where does the hydrolysis phase of digestion take place?

A
Begins in the mouth with salivary glands.
Stomach
Small Intestine (does the heavy lifting)
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10
Q

Where does the transport phase of digestion take place?

A

in the small intestine

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11
Q

What are the 2 components of the mechanical phase & what is the goal?

A

Mastication
Peristalsis
**homogenize the nutrients

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12
Q

What are the 3 functions of gastric acid?

A

kill microbes
denature protein
make the pH optimal for activation & enzymatic activity of the pepsin

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13
Q

What is the main function of the enzymes secreted by the salivary glands?

A

to keep the teeth clean

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14
Q

What are the 3 things that help w/ hydrolysis in the mouth?

A

alpha amylase
lingual lipase
lyzozymes

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15
Q

The alpha amylase released in the mouth performs optimally under which pH range?

A

6.5-7

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16
Q

The lyzozymes released in the mouth are good at breaking which types of bonds?

A

beta 1, 4 glycosidic bonds (found in bacterial cell wall)…breaks down the peptidoglycans in the cell wall

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17
Q

Where is protein digestion initiated?

A

in the stomach where pepsin is released

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18
Q

What are the 2 things released in the stomach that are a part of hydrolysis?

A

HCl

pepsin

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19
Q

What are the functions of HCl that is released in the stomach? How does this relate to pepsin?

A

HCl kills microorganisms, denatures proteins, & helps w/ pepsin
Creates pH @ 5 for pepsinogen to be cleaved
Creates pH @ 2 for pepsin to be activated

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20
Q

What allows the chyme to be neutralized once it hits the duodenum?

A

pancreatic secretions of bicarb

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21
Q

What does the alpha amylase released in the mouth break down?

A

carbohydrates

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22
Q

What is the fcn of lingual lipase?

A

it binds to fat globules & begins liberating fatty acids

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23
Q

What type of enzyme is pepsin & what is its fcn?

A

endopeptidase

cleaves proteins

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24
Q

Once you hit the small intestine what are 5 things that are involved in hydrolysis?

A
alpha amylase
glycosidases
proteases
lipases
bacteria
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25
Q

What is the relationship b/w the pancreatic alpha amylase & the salivary alpha amylase?

A

they are isoenzymes

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26
Q

Once the chyme hits the duodenum what is released from where?

A

zymogens from the pancreas

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27
Q

At the level of the small intestine what happens?

A

we transport the metabolites!!

thru intestinal epithelial cells

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28
Q

What do we absorb in the SI from carbs?

A

monosaccharides

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29
Q

What do we absorb in the SI from proteins?

A

Amino acids; di or tripeptides

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30
Q

What do we absorb in the SI from fat?

A

glycerol; free fatty acids; monoacylglycerol

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31
Q

What are the 4 main hormones secreted thru endocrine related to GI?

A

Cholecystokinin
Gastrin
Histamine
Secretin

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32
Q

What are the 3 things that CCK does when it is released?

A

gallbladder contraction
stimulates the liver to make bile salts
causes the pancreas to make & activate proenzymes

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33
Q

What is another name for CCK?

A

pancreozymin

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34
Q

What is guanylin?

A

a peptide that regulates fluid secretion @ the brush border b/c it acts on guanylyl cyclase

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35
Q

What does secretin do?

A

stimulates the watery phase (including bicarb) of pancreatic secretions.

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36
Q

Why is the pancreas protected when it secretes so many enzymes?

A

They’re released in an inactive form: called zymogens or proenzymes.

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37
Q

The cytoplasm of exocrine cells contain____ where ____ is made. They empty into _____ & ultimately into ______.

A

contain rough ER
synthesis of zymogens
collecting ducts–>pancreatic duct–>SI

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38
Q

Where are all of the zymogens cleaved?

A

small intestine

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39
Q

What is the zymogen that is produced in the stomach?

A

pepsinogen

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40
Q

What are the zymogens that are produced in the pancreas?

A
trypsinogen
chymotrypsinogen
proelastase
procarboxypeptidase
phospholipase
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41
Q

What cells make pepsinogen & where?

A

chief cells in the stomach.

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42
Q

Tell the story of chyme down to the activation of zymogens in the SI.

A

Chyme gets to the duodenum.
Intestinal Endocrine cells sense it & release CCK & Secretin.
CCK activates intestinal mucosal epithelial cells to release enteropeptidase.
CCK & Secretin activate pancreatic acinar cells to release trypsinogen.
Enteropeptidase turns trypsinogen to trypsin.
Trypsin turns more trypsinogen into trypsin.
Trypsin turns various zymogens into their active forms.

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43
Q

What are 3 zymogens that are activated by trypsin?

A

Chymotrypsinogen–>Chymotrypsin
Proelastase–>Elastase
Procarboxypeptidase–>Carboxypeptidase

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44
Q

In addition to trypsinogen, what is something else that the pancreas secretes & what is its purpose?

A

a pancreatic trypsin inhibitor.
Its purpose is to inhibit any trypsin if it shows up in the pancreas before it is supposed to b/c then it would damage the pancreas.

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45
Q

85% of CF patients have ____ insufficiency. What are the implications of this? How is this treated?

A

pancreatic
mucus secretions in the pancreatic duct are very thick & they block the release of pancreatic enzymes into the SI.
This inhibits the absorption of important nutrients & esp fat-soluble vitamins.
Patients are given enzymes to treat this.

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46
Q

How much energy do you get from carbs on a per gram basis?

A

Carbs: 4kcal/g

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47
Q

How much energy do you get from fat on a per gram basis?

A

Fat: 9.3 kcal/g

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48
Q

How much energy do you get from protein on a per gram basis?

A

Protein: 4-4.5 kcal/g

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49
Q

How much energy do you get from alcohol on a per gram basis?

A

Alcohol: 7kcal/g

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50
Q

What are the 2 main types of dietary carbs & what are they each found in?

A

Sucrose (found in sugary foods)

Starch (found in corn & breads etc)

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51
Q

Explain the structure of sucrose.

A

disaccharide. It is made up of glucose & fructose.

It has a beta 1,2 glycosidic bond

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52
Q

What are the 2 most common disaccharides?

A

Lactose & Sucrose

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53
Q

What are the 2 types of starches? What are the differences b/w the 2?

A

Amylose & Amylopectin
Amylose: alpha 1,4 glycosidic bonds linking glucose & it has a linear structure
Amylopectin: plant form of glycogen w/ branches & both alpha 1,4 glycosidic bonds & alpha 1,6 glycosidic bonds.

54
Q

What makes up lactose?

A

Lactose is a disaccharide made up of galactose & glucose.

It has a beta 1,4 glycosidic bond.

55
Q

Starch digestion is mainly accomplished by which enzyme?

A

pancreatic alpha amylase

Not really salivary alpha amylase.

56
Q

What types of bonds can pancreatic alpha amylase cleave on a starch molecule?

A

only alpha 14 glycosidic bonds, not alpha 16 bonds.
Therefore, it can’t fully digest amylopectin on its own.
Also, it can only cleave things that are in a chain of glucose.

57
Q

What type of enzyme is pancreatic alpha amylase?

A

an endoglycosidase

58
Q

After hydrolytic cleavage of amylopectin by pancreatic alpha amylase, what products are left?

A

(dimers & trimers of glucose +alpha limit dextrin)
maltose
maltotriose
alpha-limit dextrins

59
Q

What bonds are found in alpha limit dextrins?

A

Alpha 14 glycosidic bonds & alpha 16 glycosidic bonds

60
Q

T/F the products of pancreatic alpha amylase on amylopectin cannot be absorbed in the SI.

A

True. They can’t.

61
Q

Where are disaccharidases found & how are they attached there? What is another name for them?

A

brush border of the small intestine
attached to the microvilli of the brush border
some have transmembrane helices & others are anchored there by glycosyl phosphatidylinositol.
aka ectoenzymes

62
Q

All disaccharidases are technically glycoproteins. What does this mean?

A

This means that mono or polysaccharides are attached to their extracellular domains.

63
Q

What is an example of a disaccharidase that is anchored with glycosyl phosphatidylinositol?

A

trehelase

64
Q

What are some examples of disaccharidases that have transmembrane helices?

A

sucrase-isomaltase

lactase-cerebrosidase

65
Q

How is the sucrase-isomaltase complex derived?

A

derived from a single polypeptide that is cleaved by pancreatic proteases.

66
Q

Which disaccharidases are inducible & what does this mean?

A

All of them except for lactase. This means that the more you eat of that product…the more enzymes you produce.

67
Q

What are the 2 main symptoms of lactose intolerance & what cause them?

A

Flatulence: bacteria digest the extra lactose & it produces gas.
Diarrhea: osmotic situation…tons of lactose molecules draws out more water.

68
Q

So…after pancreatic alpha amylase does its thing with amylopectin…what happens to the maltose & triose etc if they can’t be absorbed as they are by the SI?

A

These sugars travel to the mucosal surface of the SI & the disaccharidases attached at the villi break them down into monosaccharides that can be absorbed by the SI.

69
Q

What are 3 important mucosal epithelial transporters & 1 important pump in the SI? Where are they found?

A
SI...in enterocytes.
SGLT1: on luminal side
GLUT5: luminal side
GLUT2: capillary side
Na+/K+ ATPase pump: capillary side
70
Q

What does SGLT1 transport? How? Where?

A

glucose & galactose
on the luminal side of the enterocyte
it is a secondary active process (co-transporter) driven by the Na+ gradient made by the pump.

71
Q

What does GLUT5 transport? How? Where?

A

fructose
on the luminal side of the enterocyte
passive process…facilitated diffusion

72
Q

What does GLUT2 transport? How? Where?

A
Glucose
Galactose
Fructose
on the capillary side of the enterocyte
a passive process...uniporter
73
Q

Patients sometimes have a defect in which SI transporter? What happens?

A

SGLT1
causes severe GI issues
hyperosmotic environment in the lumen of the SI
can’t absorb glucose & galactose easily.

74
Q

What is the rate limiting step of carbohydrate metabolism?

A

the transport of monosaccharides into cells.

75
Q

What is our protein load each day? How much do we lose each day? Is this an efficient process?

A

Eat: 70-100g/day
Endogenous (shed from our body & digest): 35-200g/day
Feces: 5-20 g/day
Very efficient process.

76
Q

Explain the process of protein digestion in the stomach & duodenum.

A

Stomach: low pH b/c of secretion of HCl & presence of pepsin (from pepsinogen released from chief cells)
These denature & break down the proteins in the stomach.
Duodenum: low pH prompts the release of CCK & secretin…stimulates the release of bicarb & zymogens from the pancreas…
Activated enzymes cleave the peptone into amino acids & oligopeptides. The bicarb lowers the pH & gets what’s left of the protein ready for the rest of digestion…

77
Q

Which steps of protein digestion are not essential?

A

neither the low pH of the stomach nor the pepsin are essential for protein digestion…

78
Q

As a protease…what type of enzyme is pepsin?

A

Both an endo & exopeptidase.

79
Q

What are 4 examples of endopeptidases…which of these are secreted from the pancreas?

A
Pepsin
Trypsin
Chymotrypsin
Elastase
**everything here but pepsin is secreted by the pancreas
80
Q

What are 3 examples of exopeptidases…which of them are secreted by the pancreas?

A

Pepsin
Carboxypeptidase A & B
everything but pepsin is secreted by the pancreas

81
Q

Pepsinogen A & B are released by the ____.

A

STOMACH

82
Q

Aside from being a protease & an exopeptidase…what type of enzymes are carboxypeptidase A & B?

A

metalloproteinases

dependent on zinc

83
Q

What is the catalytic mechanism of pepsin & what is its specificity?

A

Mechanism: carboxyl protease
Specificity: NH side of hydrophobic amino acids

84
Q

What is the catalytic mechanism of trypsin & what is its specificity?

A

Mechanism: serine protease
Specificity: CO side of basic amino acids

85
Q

What is the catalytic mechanism of chymotrypsin & what is its specificity?

A

Mechanism: serine protease
Specificity: CO side of hydrophobic amino acids

86
Q

What is the catalytic mechanism of elastase & what is its specificity?

A

Mechanism: serine protease
Specificity: CO side of small amino acids

87
Q

What is the catalytic mechanism of carboxypeptidase A? What is its specificity?

A

Mechanism: metalloproteinase (Zn2+ dependent)
Specificity: hydrophobic amino acids @ the C-terminus

88
Q

What is the catalytic mechanism of carboxypeptidase B? What is its specificity?

A

Mechanism: metalloproteinase (Zn2+ dependent)
Specificity: basic amino acids @ C-terminus

89
Q

Explain the process of releasing zymogen granules from the pancreas.

A

Zymogens are synthesized in the rough ER of exocrine cells.
Exocrine cells are stuffed with RER.
Zymogens are concentrated in transport particles called zymogen granules.
Exocrine cell stimulated.
Membranes fuse & the zymogens are exocytosed into the lumen of the collecting duct.
The collecting ducts drain into the pancreatic duct & then empty into the SI.

90
Q

How are the protein bits finally digested & absorbed…start at the point where we have free amino acids & oligopeptides after the active zymogens went at the protein…

A

Free amino acids go straight to the luminal side transporter on the SI enterocyte. They are co-transported w/ Na+ (active process b/c there is a sodium potassium pump on the capillary side of the enterocyte)…
Oligopeptides go to the brush border enzymes to be broken down into FAA & di & tripeptides.
The FAA go to the previous route.
The Di & tripeptides go thru a luminal side transporter of the enterocyte that is a cotransport w/ H+.
Inside the enterocyte they are broken down into FAA by di & tripeptidases.
They then leave the enterocytes by what looks like a passive transporter on the capillary side…

91
Q

What composes 90% of the fat we eat? What are 2 other names for it? What are its components? How much fat do we eat each day?

A

Triglycerides!
aka TAG or triacylglycerol
Glycerol backbone w/ 3 fatty acids
60-155 grams of fat per day

92
Q

What is the enzyme that is secreted in our oral cavity to break down fat?

A

lingual lipase

93
Q

What is the general process that fats must go thru to be broken down & absorbed?

A

The globules of fat must be emulsified by water soluble enzymes so that they can then be digested.

94
Q

In response to the amount of fat that we eat per day…how much cholesterol is released by the liver & how much phosphatidlycholine is released by the liver?

A

1.2 grams of cholesterol are released by the liver each day

7-22 grams of phosphatidylcholine are released by the liver each day.

95
Q

How do you begin the digestion of lipids in the stomach?

A

Core body temp melts them a little.
Peristaltic movements lead to the formation of a lipid emulsion.
Salivary & gastric lipases help.
Fatty acids & diglycerides etc. produced that act as emulsifiers?

96
Q

When you are digesting lipids why do the lingual & gastric lipases operate pretty slowly?

A

b/c of the small lipid water interface

97
Q

What is the structure of bile?

A
Planar fat emulsifiers
have a hydrophobic & hydrophilic surface
built on a cholesterol backbone
modified to cholic acid
conjugated with amino acids like glycine & taurine
98
Q

What is the difference b/w bile acids & bile salts? What is the functional difference?

A

Bile acids are the protonated forms of bile salts.

Bile acids are functionally important b/c they are the ones that form micelles.

99
Q

_____ grams of bile is dumped into the intestines each day…but ____ grams of that is stored b/c a LOT of it is recycled.

A

20-50 grams dumped

3-5 grams stored

100
Q

What is the most common bile salt in humans?

A

glycocholate

101
Q

What is fiber generally considered? What are 5 specific examples?

A

plant polymers

cellulose, inulin, pectin, lignin, suberin

102
Q

How is fiber broken down & where is it generally absorbed?

A

anaerobically fermented in the lower ileum by bacterial flora
absorbed by the ileum of the SI

103
Q

What are the products of fiber digestion by anaerobic fermentation?

A

Gas:
Hydrogen, methane, CO2
Organic Acids:
Acetate, Propionate, Byrutate, Lactate

104
Q

Where are the majority of all nutrients absorbed?

A

the ileum of the SI

105
Q

What is the general function of the large intestine?

A

Absorption of water & electrolytes

recirculation of bile acids to the liver

106
Q

Approximately what amount of fluid passes through the GI tract each day?

A

7 liters/ day

107
Q

What is the time frame of the effect of hormones vs. allosteric regulators?

A

Hormones regulate on the level of minutes to days

Allosteric effectors regulate on a moment by moment basis

108
Q

What does it mean that metabolic enzymes have tissue specific isoforms?

A

In different tissues there will be a different timing of when stuff happens…
Glucokinase vs. Hexokinase

109
Q

Where is excess nitrogen converted to urea?

A

the liver

110
Q

What is one of the GI-like functions of the lymphatic system?

A

carries lipids from the intestine to the liver

111
Q

Where in the cell does non-oxidative catabolism occur?

A

the cytoplasm

112
Q

Where in the cell does the storage of energy in the form of fat & glycogen occur?

A

the cytoplasm

113
Q

What is the general function of lysosomes?

A

hydrolyze macromolecules

114
Q

What is the general function of peroxisomes?

A

oxidative reactions.

115
Q

What is the idea behind isozymes?

A

the cells in different parts of the body have similar enzymes that are specialized to that particular organ.

116
Q

What are 2 examples of carb metabolism synthesizing biosynthetic monosaccharide precursors?

A

Amino sugars–>Activated sugars–>Nucleotides

Glycolipids–>Glycoproteins–>Proteoglycans

117
Q

What are 2 monosaccharides that can be channeled into different energy-getting pathways?

A

fructose & galactose

118
Q

What is the ideal blood glucose level in mM & in mg/dL?

A

4-5.5 mM

70-100 mg/dL

119
Q

Which cell type is completely dependent on energy from pure glucose?

A

RBCs

120
Q

What is the brain’s primary energy source? How much of this does it consume per day? What is its backup?

A

Glucose
120g/day
Back up: ketones

121
Q

How is blood glucose taken up by most tissues?

A

thru facilitated diffusion

122
Q

Blood glucose levels of ____ mg/mL & below constitute hypoglycemia.

A

40mg/100mL

123
Q

How does glucose travel in the blood?

A

attached to albumin

124
Q

What is the only source of glucose during prolonged fasting?

A

the liver

125
Q

What are the 3 sources of blood glucose?

A

food (lasts for a few hours)
glycogen
gluconeogenesis

126
Q

When does fasting technically begin?

A

3 hours after eating…

127
Q

How long does it take to deplete the liver glycogen content?

A

10-12 hours

like an overnight fast

128
Q

When glucagon rises relative to insulin…what process happens first? What process follows it?

A

First: glycogenolysis
Then: gluconeogenesis

129
Q

What usu happens to glucose?

A

It is made into glycogen.

130
Q

The liver metabolizes what percentage of glucose?

A

20-30%