TEST - Nutrition, Digestion, Absorption & Homeostasis Flashcards
Distinguish between essential and non-essential nutrients.
Essential - CANNOT be synthesized by the body(must be consumed through the diet).
Non-Essential - CAN be synthesized by the body.
Outline the causes and treatments of PKU.
Cause - genetic, lack of enzyme that breaks phenylalanine into tyrosine, causes buildup of phenylalanine
Treatment for PKU - low protein diet, limit intake of protein sources that contain phenylalanine; supplemented with formula containing essential aa’s/ tyrosine
Outline WHY food needs to be digested.
Food macromolecules need to be hydrolyzed into smaller molecules in order to be absorbed.
Pepsin / endopeptidase
- Hydrolyzes protein into amino acids
- Pepsin secreted by the gastric glands in the stomach (acidic pH)
- Endopeptidase secreted by pancreas into the lumen of the small intestine (neutral pH)
Amylase
- Hydrolyzes carbs (starch) into maltose
- Salivary produced in salivary glands and acts in mouth (neutral pH)
- Pancreatic produced in pancreas and acts in lumen of small intestine (neutral pH)
Lipase
- Hydrolyzes lipids into di- / mono-glycerides / fatty acids / glycerol
- Produced by pancreas and acts in the lumen of the small intestine (neutral pH)
Nuclease
- Hydrolyzes nucleotides (nucleic acids) into nucleosides
- Produced by pancreas and acts in the lumen of the small intestine (neutral pH)
If IB simply states “digestion” in a question without stating which type they mean, what do they mean?
“Chemical Digestion”
Outline the roles of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.
- Lowers the pH, which initially denatures proteins
- Activates pepsinogen into pepsin
- Kill pathogenic bacteria and fungi in ingested foods
Outline the roles of proton pumps in the stomach.
- Maintain acidic conditions (low pH) by actively pumping protons into the stomach
- Cl combines to form HCL
Outline the roles of PPI’s in the reduction of stomach acid/ ulcers.
- Proton pumps maintain acidity
- PPI’s bind irreversibly to proton pumps
- Lowers the amount of acid produced
Outline the hormonal and nervous mechanisms that control the secretion, content, and volume of gastric juice.
- Sight/smell of food triggers medulla to send signal to stomach to secrete gastric juice via vagus nerve
- Impulses from stretch receptors send signals to medulla via vagus nerve which sends signals to stomach to trigger production of gastrin
- Gastrin causes sustained release of gastric juices (HCL)
Which cells in the gastric pits secrete which components of gastric juice?
- HCl secreted by parietal cells
- Pepsinogen secreted by chief cells
Where does chemical digestion and most absorption happen?
Small intestine
Where does protein digestion begin?
Stomach