B6 Animal nutrition

7.4 Chemical digestion

1 Describe chemical digestion as the break down of large insoluble molecules into small soluble molecules
2 State the role of chemical digestion in producing small soluble molecules that can be absorbed
3 Describe the functions of enzymes as follows: (a) amylase breaks down starch to simple reducing sugars (b) proteases break down
protein to amino acids (c) lipase breaks down fats and oils to fatty acids and glycerol
4 State where, in the digestive system, amylase, protease and lipase are secreted and where they act
5 Describe the functions of hydrochloric acid in gastric juice, limited to killing harmful microorganisms in food and providing an acidic pH
for optimum enzyme activity
6 Describe the digestion of starch in the digestive system: (a) amylase breaks down starch to maltose (b) maltase breaks down maltose
to glucose on the membranes of the epithelium lining the small intestine
7 Describe the digestion of protein by proteases in the digestive system: (a) pepsin breaks down protein in the acidic conditions of the
stomach (b) trypsin breaks down protein in the alkaline conditions of the small intestine
8 Explain that bile is an alkaline mixture that neutralises the acidic mixture of food and gastric juices entering the duodenum from the
stomach, to provide a suitable pH for enzyme action

7.5 Absorption
1 State that the small intestine is the region where nutrients are absorbed
2 State that most water is absorbed from the small intestine but that some is also absorbed from the colon
3 Explain the significance of villi and microvilli in increasing the internal surface area of the small intestine
4 Describe the structure of a villus
5 Describe the roles of capillaries and lacteals in villi
 6.1 Diet
Balanced diet consists of all of the food groups in the correct
proportions

Carbohydrates

Water Protein

7
classes
Fiber of food Fats

Vitamins Minerals
 6.1 Diet
FOOD TYPE FUNCTION SOURCES

Carbohydrates Primary source of energy Rice, bread, cereals, pasta

Proteins Growth and repair Meat, fish, eggs, nuts

Fats Insulation and energy storage Oils, butter

Water Needed for the chemical reactions in body Water, juices. Milk, fruits and
vegetables

Fiber Provides roughage to enable the intestine to push Vegetables and whole grains
the food through

Minerals Needed in small quantity to maintain health Fruits and vegetables, milk

Vitamins Needed in small quantity to maintain health Fruits and vegetables

 6.1 Diet

Vitamins and minerals requirement table

Vitamin/mineral Function Sources

Vitamin C Forms collagen protein which form the Citrus fruits and vegetables
skin, gums and hair
Vitamin D For calcium absorption. Forms strong Oily fish, eggs, liver and
bones and teeth. morning sunlight
Calcium Needed for strong teeth and bones. Milk, cheese and eggs
Iron Needed to make hemoglobin for oxygen Red meat, liver, spinach
transport
 6.1 Diet
Rickets
•Rickets is a condition in children characterised by poor
bone development
Scurvy •Symtpoms include:
•Scurvy is the name for a severe vitamin C deficiency • Bone pain
• It is caused by a lack of vitamin C in the diet for • Lack of bone growth
over 3 months • Soft, weak bones (sometimes causing deformities)
•Its symptoms include: •Rickets is caused by a severe lack of vitamin D
• Anemia • Vitamin D is required for the absorption of calcium
• Exhaustion into the body
• Spontaneous bleeding • Calcium is a key component of bones and
• Pain in the limbs teeth
• Swelling •Vitamin D mostly comes from exposure to sunlight but it
• Gum ulcerations can also be found in some foods (fish, eggs and butter)
• Tooth loss •The treatment for rickets is to increase consumption
Scurvy can be treated with oral or intravenous vitamin C of foods containing calcium and vitamin D
supplements • Alternatively vitamin D supplements can be
prescribed
6.2 Digestive system
Digestive Organ Function
Mouth Chew and breakdown food
Pharynx / Carries food to stomach through muscular
Oesophagus contractions - peristalsis
Muscular walls churn food, breaking it
Stomach
down to a useful form
Produces bile that neutralises HCl acid and
Liver
emulsifies fats
Gall Bladder Stores excess bile
Produces digestive enzymes and releases
Pancreas
them into small intestine.
Produces digestive enzymes and where
Small Intestine
food is absorbed into blood
Large Intestine Excess water is absorbed from food
Rectum & anus Where faeces is stored
 6.3Chemical digestion
•Ingestion - the taking of substances, e.g. food and drink, into
the body through the mouth
Ingestion
•Mechanical digestion - the breakdown of food into smaller
pieces without chemical change to the food molecules
•Chemical digestion - the breakdown of large, insoluble
molecules into small, soluble molecules
Digestion •Absorption - the movement of small food molecules and ions
through the wall of the intestine into the blood
•Assimilation - the movement of digested food molecules into
the cells of the body where they are used, becoming part of
the cells
Absorption Assimilation •Egestion - the passing out of food that has not been digested
or absorbed, as faces, through the anus

Egestion Enzymes are used to break down large insoluble substances

such as proteins into smaller soluble substances like amino
acids so that they can be absorbed
 6.3 Chemical digestion
Amylase
Carbohydrates → Sugars
Produced in:
• Salivary Glands / Pancreas /Small Intestine

Protease
Proteins → Amino Acids
Produced in:
• Stomach / Pancreas / Small Intestine

Lipase
Fats → Fatty Acids + Glycerol
Produced in:
• Pancreas / Small Intestine
 6.3 Chemical digestion
Saliva contains amylase: Stomach secretes Gastric juice: (Acidic)
Starch → maltose 1. Hydrochloric acid
a. Kill bacteria
b. Provide optimum pH for pepsin
& stop amylase
2. Mucus
Bile (made in liver & stored in gall bladder):
a. Protects wall lining of the
1. Contains hydrogen carbonate which stomach
neutralize acidic chime from stomach 3. Pepsin (protease enzyme)
2. Emulsifies fats (convert large gobules Protein → polypeptides
of fats into smaller oil droplets) – this
helps to increase surface area for
Pancreatic juice contains: (Alkaline)
lipase to act on
1. Pancreatic amylase
Starch → maltose
1. Trypsin (protease enzyme)
polypeptides → amino acid
1. Lipase
Fats → fatty acids + glycerol
Intestinal juice: Various enzymes inc.
Maltase (Maltose → glucose)
Trypsin,, lactase, lipase, renin
 6.3 Absorption

The small intestine is where soluble food molecules are

absorbed into the blood stream.
6.3 Absorption
Adaptation for Efficient Absorption
a) very long – enough time for absorption to
occur
b) highly folded with villi– large surface area
for absorption
c) One cell thick - shorter diffusion rate
d) Good blood supply – diffusion of soluble
food
→ Fat-soluble food molecules = enters lacteal
Eg: fatty acid, glycerol, Vitamin A, D, E & K
→ Water-soluble food molecules = enters capillaries
Eg: glucose, amino acid, minerals, Vitamin C & B

The hepatic portal vein then delivers them to the liver.

Liver: determines what and how much nutrients enter the blood
stream based on body’s need.