Tag: alimentary canal

Bile salts (of bile) plays a very important role in the digestion of fats. As fats are insoluble in water, they enter the intestine as drops within the watery chyme. The bile salts, which are partly lipid-soluble and partly water-soluble, emulsify the fat particles and, as a result, the fat-drops acquire a greater surface area. The enzyme lipase, then acts upon these fat-drops and allows its digestion into glycerol and fatty acids. 

Carbohydrates are hydrolysed by concerning enzymes and converted into monosaccharides like glucose and fructose. Monosaccharides are absorbed via the capillary blood with in the villus to finally reach into portal vein. Absorption of glucose molecules occurs along with, Na+ by active import. Fructose is absorbed passively through facilitated diffusion.

In herbivores like rabbit, the symbiotic bacteria and protozoans present in the caecum, help in digestion of cellulose into glucose. So, the digestion of cellulose takes place in caecum by the process of decomposition. This decomposition process is very slow. So, very less amount of cellulose is digested at a time in caecum.

Chyme is a thick semifluid mass of partially digested food and digestive secretions that is formed in the stomach and intestine during digestion.

Lipases are enzymes found in the small intestine of humans that helps in the breakdown of fats. it is not involved in the digestion of starch.

Amylase digests complex starch (polysaccharide) molecules into smaller, simpler maltose (disaccharide) molecules. 

Lactase is an enzyme produced by the small intestine, found in the digestive system of humans. It is essential to complete the digestion of whole milk. Lactase breaks down lactose, a simple sugar which gives milk its sweetness. 

•  In the digestive environment, proteins, carbohydrates are initially attacked by enzymes produced by your salivary glands and stomach. And then it attacks fats.
• However, effective enzymatic breakdown of fats requires emulsification by bile acids, a process that does not occur until fats leave your stomach and enter your small intestine. Hence, Fats in the stomach is inhibited. This inhibition is due to the slow digestion of fat. So, the correct answer is 'Slow
  digestion of fat'.

In small intestine Pancreatic amylase converts starch and dextrose into maltoses and small intestine is main site for digestion of carbohydrates.

Starch is hydrolyzed by pancreatic amylase to maltose, isomaltose and dextrose sucrose $\overset{suctase}{\rightarrow}$ glucose and fructose.