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  5. Chemical digestion and absorption

23.7 Chemical digestion and absorption: a closer look

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By the end of this section, you will be able to:
  • Identify the locations and primary secretions involved in the chemical digestion of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids
  • Compare and contrast absorption of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic nutrients

As you have learned, the process of mechanical digestion is relatively simple. It involves the physical breakdown of food but does not alter its chemical makeup. Chemical digestion, on the other hand, is a complex process that reduces food into its chemical building blocks, which are then absorbed to nourish the cells of the body ( [link] ). In this section, you will look more closely at the processes of chemical digestion and absorption.

Digestion and absorption

This diagram identifies the functions of mechanical and chemical digestion and absorption at each organ. Next to each organ, a callout identifies which steps of digestion take place in that particular organ.
Digestion begins in the mouth and continues as food travels through the small intestine. Most absorption occurs in the small intestine.

Chemical digestion

Large food molecules (for example, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and starches) must be broken down into subunits that are small enough to be absorbed by the lining of the alimentary canal. This is accomplished by enzymes through hydrolysis. The many enzymes involved in chemical digestion are summarized in [link] .

*These enzymes have been activated by other substances.
The Digestive Enzymes
Enzyme Category Enzyme Name Source Substrate Product
Salivary Enzymes Lingual lipase Lingual glands Triglycerides Free fatty acids, and mono- and diglycerides
Salivary Enzymes Salivary amylase Salivary glands Polysaccharides Disaccharides and trisaccharides
Gastric enzymes Gastric lipase Chief cells Triglycerides Fatty acids and monoacylglycerides
Gastric enzymes Pepsin* Chief cells Proteins Peptides
Brush border enzymes α-Dextrinase Small intestine α-Dextrins Glucose
Brush border enzymes Enteropeptidase Small intestine Trypsinogen Trypsin
Brush border enzymes Lactase Small intestine Lactose Glucose and galactose
Brush border enzymes Maltase Small intestine Maltose Glucose
Brush border enzymes Nucleosidases and phosphatases Small intestine Nucleotides Phosphates, nitrogenous bases, and pentoses
Brush border enzymes Peptidases Small intestine
  • Aminopeptidase: amino acids at the amino end of peptides
  • Dipeptidase: dipeptides
  • Aminopeptidase: amino acids and peptides
  • Dipeptidase: amino acids
Brush border enzymes Sucrase Small intestine Sucrose Glucose and fructose
Pancreatic enzymes Carboxy-peptidase* Pancreatic acinar cells Amino acids at the carboxyl end of peptides Amino acids and peptides
Pancreatic enzymes Chymotrypsin* Pancreatic acinar cells Proteins Peptides
Pancreatic enzymes Elastase* Pancreatic acinar cells Proteins Peptides
Pancreatic enzymes Nucleases Pancreatic acinar cells
  • Ribonuclease: ribonucleic acids
  • Deoxyribonuclease: deoxyribonucleic acids
 Nucleotides
Pancreatic enzymes Pancreatic amylase Pancreatic acinar cells Polysaccharides (starches) α-Dextrins, disaccharides (maltose), trisaccharides (maltotriose)
Pancreatic enzymes Pancreatic lipase Pancreatic acinar cells Triglycerides that have been emulsified by bile salts Fatty acids and monoacylglycerides
Pancreatic enzymes Trypsin* Pancreatic acinar cells Proteins Peptides

Questions & Answers

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Quantity demanded refers to the specific amount of a good or service that consumers are willing and able to purchase at a give price and within a specific time period. Demand, on the other hand, is a broader concept that encompasses the entire relationship between price and quantity demanded
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In economics, the contract curve refers to the set of points in an Edgeworth box diagram where both parties involved in a trade cannot be made better off without making one of them worse off. It represents the Pareto efficient allocations of goods between two individuals or entities,
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Source:  OpenStax, Anatomy & Physiology. OpenStax CNX. Feb 04, 2016 Download for free at http://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11496/1.8
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