Chemical Digestion/Roles of Digestive System Flashcards
What is chemical digestion?
Enzymes break down complex compounds into simple compounds.
What are the three main kinds of digestive enzymes?
1) Amylases: act on carbohydrates.
2) Proteases: act on proteins.
3) Lipases: act on lipids.
Where are digestive enzymes made?
Made in the gut wall, salivary glands, and pancreas.
What is the first main role of the digestive system?
Digestion: absorbing nutrients into the body by eating or drinking them.
What is the second main role of the digestive system?
Digestion: food is broken up chemically through the action of enzymes and converted into a substance suitable for absorption into the body.
What is the third main role of the digestive system?
Absorption: taking up digested molecules into the internal environment of the cells in the digestive tract.
What is the fourth main role of the digestive system?
Egestion: the removal of wastes from the body.
