Digestive system Flashcards
What is the digestive system?
The digestive system is an important organ system that uses digestive enzymes and mechanical methods to break down all different kinds of food so it can be absorbed into the blood and used around the body.
Describe how and where starch is broken down in the human digestive system.
Starch is broken down into maltose by the enzyme amylase.
Salivary glands release saliva containing amylase into the mouth for digestion.
Amylase is also made in the pancreas and gets released into the small intestine where starch can be further digested.
Name 2 purposes of the hydrochloric acid found in the stomach.
Provides an acidic environment for pepsin to work.
Kills bacteria from food.
Describe the test used to identify the presence of proteins in a piece of food.
Prepare the food sample.
This is done by breaking up the food with a pestle and mortar, dissolving it in distilled water and filtering out any remaining solid pieces.
Add a few drops of biuret A and biuret B to the sample.
Shake the test tube to mix it.
If a protein is present, the solution will change from blue to purple.
