Digestion and Absorption of Proteins

Question 1

What happens to the proteins in the stomach?

Answer 1

The proteins are chewed and swallowed into the stomach. The HCL denatures the proteins which makes them unfold into the 3d polypeptide chains. Pepsin forms shorter polypeptides

Question 2

What happens to the proteins in the small intestine?

Answer 2

Enzymatic digestion continues which forms tripeptides, dipeptides and amino acids

Question 3

What does Endopeptidases do?

Answer 3

They hydrolyse peptide bonds within a large protein to create smaller polypeptide chains. They also create more terminal ends for exopeptidases to work on

Question 4

What does Exopeptidases do?

Answer 4

They hydrolyse terminal peptide bonds to remove individual amino acids and create smaller polypeptide chains

Question 5

Where are the dipeptidases located on?

Answer 5

The membrane of epithelial cells lining the small intestine

Question 6

What does Dipeptidases do?

Answer 6

They work specifically on dipeptides to hydrolyse the peptide bond. This creates 2 single amino acids which can be transported through membrane into the epithelial cell

Question 7

What co-transports amino acids?

Answer 7

Sodium ions