Digestive System Module 7: Chemical Digestion

The physical breakdown of food without altering its chemical composition.

The process of breaking down food into its chemical building blocks.

The various parts of the digestive system where chemical digestion occurs, from the mouth to the small intestine, with most absorption occurring in the small intestine.

The body's series of organs working together to break down food and absorb nutrients.

The chemical building blocks that make up food and are broken down during chemical digestion.

Nutrients that dissolve easily in water.

Nutrients that do not dissolve in water.

The process of taking nutrients from digested food into the bloodstream for use by the body.

The breakdown of carbohydrates into smaller units, ultimately monosaccharides, for absorption.

Enzyme that aids in the digestion of starch in the small intestine.

Simple sugars; the end product of carbohydrate digestion.

The process of breaking down proteins into individual amino acids.

Enzyme that starts protein digestion in the stomach.

The building blocks of proteins.

Pancreatic enzymes that continue protein digestion in the small intestine, splitting at specific parts of protein chains.

Enzymes located on the surface of the small intestine cells that break down disaccharides into monosaccharides.

Sugars composed of two monosaccharides—like sucrose, maltose, and lactose.

The entire digestive tract, from mouth to anus.

Chyme entering the large intestine consists of indigestible food residue, water, and bacteria.

Nutrients are absorbed through active transport (using energy) and passive diffusion (no energy).

Carbohydrates are absorbed as monosaccharides in the small intestine at a high rate.

Most protein absorption occurs in the duodenum and jejunum through active transport.

Lipids are absorbed by lacteals (lymphatic vessels) and aided by bile salts.

Bile salts aid in lipid digestion and absorption of the resulting fat fragments.

Protein digestion starts in the stomach and finishes in the small intestine.

Most lipid digestion happens in the small intestine.

Pancreatic lipase breaks down triglycerides into free fatty acids and monoglycerides.

Carbohydrates are broken down into monosaccharides like glucose, galactose, and fructose.

Proteins break down into single amino acids, dipeptides, and tripeptides.

Nucleic acids (DNA & RNA) are broken down into pentose sugars, phosphates, and nitrogenous bases.

Digestion converts food into absorbable molecules for the intestinal cells.

To break down large food molecules into smaller, absorbable subunits.

Lipids are processed differently than other nutrients during absorption; they require emulsification and special transport mechanisms.

The breakdown products of nucleic acids (pentose sugars, nitrogenous bases, and phosphate ions) are transported across the intestinal lining through active transport.

Water absorption occurs primarily in the small intestine, driven by a concentration gradient; water moves from the intestines into the cells.

The small intestine is crucial for most chemical digestion and nearly all nutrient absorption.

Intestinal cells where most nutrient transport/absorption happens, exceptions to lipid, fat-soluble vitamins, and mostly water-soluble vitamins.

Bile salts and lecithin help emulsify fats, forming micelles which enables fat absorption.

Lipids are reassembled into triglycerides and packaged with other lipids and proteins into chylomicrons for transport.

A breakdown product of starch.

A brush border enzyme that works on α-dextrins.

A brush border enzyme acting on proteins.

A large lipid-transport compound.

Pancreatic enzyme digesting DNA.

A brush border enzyme on proteins.

Breaks down lactose into glucose and galactose.

Breaks down triglycerides in chylomicrons.

Breaks down maltose and maltotriose to glucose.

A tiny lipid-transport compound.

Brush border enzyme digesting nucleotides.

Digests carbohydrates in the small intestine.

Enzyme secreted by the pancreas to aids in lipid digestion

Enzyme secreted by the pancreas involved in nucleic acid digestion

A brush border enzyme that digests nucleotides.

Pancreatic enzyme digesting RNA.

Enzyme that breaks down sucrose into glucose and fructose.