Chemical Digestion Flashcards
What is chemical digestion?
Chemical digestion is the breakdown of large, insoluble food molecules into smaller, soluble molecules using enzymes.
Where does chemical digestion occur in the body?
Chemical digestion occurs in the mouth, stomach, and small intestine.
What role do enzymes play in chemical digestion?
Enzymes speed up the chemical breakdown of food molecules without being used up in the process.
Which enzyme breaks down starch?
Amylase breaks down starch into maltose.
Where is amylase produced and where does it act?
Amylase is produced in the salivary glands and pancreas. It acts in the mouth and small intestine.
What does maltase do?
Maltase breaks down maltose into glucose.
What is the end product of starch digestion?
Glucose
What enzyme breaks down proteins and what are the end products?
Proteases break down proteins into amino acids.
Name two proteases and where they work.
Pepsin (in the stomach, works best at pH 2.5) and trypsin (in the small intestine, works best at pH 8.0).
What enzyme breaks down fats and oils?
Lipase
What are the end products of fat digestion?
Fatty acids and glycerol.
Where is lipase produced and where does it work?
Lipase is produced by the pancreas and works in the small intestine.
What helps lipase work more efficiently?
Bile, which emulsifies fats into smaller droplets, increasing surface area for lipase action.
What is emulsification?
The physical breakdown of large fat droplets into smaller ones by bile, aiding digestion.
What is the role of hydrochloric acid in digestion?
HCl in the stomach provides the acidic pH needed for pepsin to work and kills bacteria in food.
