Mechanical And Chemical Digestion Flashcards
What travels down the esophagus?
A bolus
What prevents the bolus from entering the nasal cavity?
The uvula
What is peristalsis
The longitudinal mechanism of movement in the esophagus, stomach and gut that moves food in a causal direction
What is churning and what is created?
Food is digested for several hours in digestives juices and creates chyme
What is the function of the acidic environment of the stomach?
To denature proteins and other macromolecules
How does the stomach prevent the acids from damaging the gastric lining?
The stomach epithelium contains a mucous membrane
What does the pancreas release to neutralize the acids as they enter the intestine?
Alkaline compounds (eg bicarbonate ions)
What is the function of emulsification of fats?
Increases the total surface area available for enzyme activity (lipase)
What do enzymes in the small intestine do?
Digest most macromolecules into monomers
Where and with what enzyme do carbohydrates breakdown?
Starts in the mouth with amylase
Where and with what enzyme do proteins breakdown?
Starts in the stomach with pepsin, then is further broken down by trypsin (released from the pancreas)
Where and with what enzyme do lipids breakdown?
Starts in the intestine (mixed with bile that contains amphipathic salts that ease digestion)
What is the product of starch and amylose?
Maltose
What is the product of triglycerides and lipase?
Fatty acids and glycerol
What is the product of phospholipids and phospholipase?
Fatty acids, glycerol, and phosphate
