Lipid Digestion

Question 1

Explain lipid digestion

Answer 1

1. Fats and oils are emulsified by bile salts (found in bile)
2. Emulsified lipids are hydrolysed by lipase enzymes that are produced by the pancreas and present in pancreatic juice which is released into the small intestine
3. Lipases hydrolyse the ester bond found in triglycerides to form fatty acids and monoglycerides
4. Micelles are formed
   Micelles = monoglycerides + fatty acids + bile salts

Question 2

What is bile?

Answer 2

Bile is produced by the liver and stored in the gall bladder and then secreted through the bile duct into the small intestine

Question 3

What is emulsification?

Answer 3

Lipids are split into tiny droplets, this increase the surface area available to the lipase enzymes and speeds up the rate of hydrolysis