Enzymes and Digestion Flashcards
What do digestive enzymes do?
Break down big molecules into smaller ones
Name the big molecules. What is the issue with them?
Starch, proteins and fats
They’re too big to pass through the walls of the digestive system
Name the smaller molecules. What’s good about them?
Sugars, amino acids, glycerol and fatty acids
They can pass easily through the walls of the digestive system
What does Amylase do?
Converts starch into sugars
Where is amylase made?
The salivary glands
The pancreas
The small intestine
What converts starch into sugars?
Amylase
What does Protease do?
Converts proteins into amino acids
What does Lipase do?
Converts lipids into glycerol and fatty acids
Where is Protease made?
The stomach (it's called pepsin there) The pancreas The small intestine
Where is Lipase made?
The pancreas
The small intestine
What Converts proteins into amino acids?
Protease
What Converts lipids into glycerol and fatty acids?
Lipase
What does Bile do?
It neutralises the stomach acid and emulsifies fats
Where is bile produced, stored and then released?
Produced: Liver
Stored: Gall Bladder
Released Into: Small Intestine
Why does bile need to neutralise stomach acid? How does it do it?
The hydrochloric acid in the stomach makes the pH too acidic for enzymes in the small intestine to work properly. Bile is alkaline - it neutralises the aid and makes the conditions alkaline. The enzymes in the small intestine work best in these alkaline conditions
Why does bile emulsify fats? How?
It breaks fat into tiny droplets. This gives it a much bigger surface area of fat for the enzyme lipase to work on - which makes digestion faster
The break down of food is [ ] by enzymes
Catalysed
Enzymes used in the digestive system are produced by [ ] in glands in the [ ]
specialised cells
gut lining
What do salivary glands do in the digestive system?
Produce amylase enzyme in the saliva
What is another name for the gullet?
Oesophagus
What does the liver do in the digestive system?
where bile is produced.
Bile neutralises stomach acid and emulsifies fats
What does the Gall bladder do in the digestive system?
Where bile is stored, before it’s released into the small intestine
What does the Large Intestine do in the digestive system?
Where excess water is absorbed from food
What does the small Intestine do in the digestive system?
1) Produces protease, amylase and lipase enzymes to complete digestion
2) This is also where the digested food is absorbed out of the digestive system into the blood
What does the Rectum do in the digestive system?
Where the faeces (made up of mainly indigestible food) are stored before they are released through the anus
What does the pancreas do in the digestive system?
Produces protease, amylase and lipase enzymes. It releases these into the small intestine
What does the stomach do in the digestive system?
1) It pummels the food with its muscular wall
2) It produces the protease enzyme, pepsin
3) It produce hydrochloric acid for 2 reasons:
- To kill bacteria
- To give the right pH for the protease enzyme work (pH 2 - acidic)
