#Digestion

#Biology

#HumanNutrition

Digestion of Starch

• Amylases are produced in the mouth and the pancreas (secreted into the duodenum)

• Amylases digest starch into smaller sugars

  
  

• Amylase is secreted into the alimentary canal in the mouth and the duodenum (from the pancreas) and digests starch to maltose (a disaccharide)

• Maltose is digested by the enzyme maltase into glucose on the membranes of the epithelium lining of the small intestinetine

Digestion of Proteins

• Proteases are a group of enzymes that break down proteins into amino acids in the stomach and small intestine (with the enzymes in the small intestine having been produced in the pancreas)

  
  

• Protein digestion takes place in the stomach and duodenum with two main enzymes produced:

  • Pepsin is produced in the stomach and breaks down protein in acidic conditions

  • Trypsin is produced in the pancreas and secreted into the duodenum where is breaks down protein in alkaline conditions

Digestion of Fats

• Bile breaks down large drops of fat into smaller ones. This is known as emulsification. The larger surface area allows lipase to chemically break down the lipid into glycerol and fatty acids faster

• Lipase enzymes are produced in the pancreas and secreted into the duodenum

• They digest lipids into fatty acids and glycerol