3.3.3 digestion and absorption Flashcards
(62 cards)
give some examples of large biological molecules
starch, proteins
can large biological molecules cross the cell membrane and what does this mean can’t happen
large biological molecules in food are too big to cross cell membranes so they can’t be absorbed from the gut into the blood
what happens to these larger molecules during digestion
during digestion, these larger molecules are broken down into smaller molecules (e.g. glucose, amino acids)
can these smaller molecules move across cell membranes and what does this allow to happen
smaller molecules can move across cell membranes so they can be easily absorbed from the gut into the blood
what happens after these smaller molecules are absorbed from the gut into the blood
they can be transported around the body for use by the body cells
what are most large biological molecules
polymers
what are these larger molecules/polymers broken down into and by what process
broken down into smaller molecules (monomers) using hydrolysis reactions
what happens in a hydrolysis reaction (simplified)
hydrolysis reactions break bonds by adding water
during hydrolysis, what are carbohydrates broken down into
disaccharides then monosaccharides
during hydrolysis, what are fats broken down into
fatty acids and monoglycerides
during hydrolysis, what are proteins broken down into
amino acids
what are digestive enzymes used for?
digestive enzymes are used to break down biological molecules in food
where can digestive enzymes be produced
variety of digestive enzymes are produced by specialised cells in the digestive systems of mammals
what do these digestive enzymes mix with?
food
do different enzymes work with different food molecules?
enzymes only work with specific substrates so different enzymes are need to catalyse the breakdown of different food molecules
DIGESTION OF CARBOHYDRATES
what enzyme catalyses the breakdown of starch
amylase is the digestive enzyme that catalyses the breakdown of starch
DIGESTION OF CARBOHYDRATES
what is starch made of
starch is a mixture of 2 polysaccharides, each made from long chains of alpha glucose molecules
DIGESTION OF CARBOHYDRATES
how does amylase work
amylase works by catalysing hydrolysis reactions that break the glycosidic bonds in starch to produce maltose (disaccharide)
DIGESTION OF CARBOHYDRATES
where is amylase produced
amylase is produced by the salivary glands and the pancreas
DIGESTION OF CARBOHYDRATES
as a result of where amylase is produced, where is it released into
- the mouth
- the small intestine
DIGESTION OF CARBOHYDRATES
what are membrane-bound disaccharides
membrane bound disaccharides are enzymes that are attached to the cell membranes of epithelial cells lining the ileum (final part of small intestine)
DIGESTION OF CARBOHYDRATES
what do membrane-bound disaccharides help to do
they help to break down disaccharides into monosaccharides (involves hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds)
DIGESTION OF CARBOHYDRATES
examples of membrane bound disaccharides
- sucrase
- maltase
- lactase
DIGESTION OF CARBOHYDRATES
disaccharide sucrose
sucrose (disaccharide) is broken down by sucrase into glucose and fructose (monosaccharides)