Chemical Digestion

What is chemical digestion?

➔ Chemical digestion is a chemical process, that usually involves enzymes, and
breaks down large food molecules into smaller ones.
➔ Glands in the lining of the stomach produce gastric juice, which contains the
protease enzyme, which helps with protein breakdown.
➔ Hydrochloric acid is also produced, which makes a weak solution in the
gastric juice and provides an acidic environment.
➔ The alternate peristaltic movements help in churning the food, and when
done, is sent through the pyloric sphincter to the duodenum.
Example of chemical digestion in the stomach
Digestion in the stomach
Chemical digestion involves the secretions of enzymes throughout your digestive tract.
These enzymes break the chemical bonds that hold food particles together. This allows
food to be broken down into small, digestible parts

Once food particles reach your small intestine, the intestines continue to move. This helps
keep food particles moving and exposes more of them to digestive enzymes. These
movements also help to move the digested food toward the large intestine for excretion.
Enzymes & digestive juices present in the stomach

● Both chemical digestion and mechanical digestion occur in the

stomach:
ENZYME OPTIMUM pH
Through peristalsis
By enzymes
Pepsin pH 1-2

● It is important to note the pH of the stomach is acidic Trypsin (around) pH 9

○ This is due to the presence of hydrochloric acid Pancreatic pH 3-6
● Create an alkaline lipase
environment in the
stomach Amylase (around) pH 7
● They denature and kill any
harmful bacteria present in This is why pepsin is mainly digested
the food that has been in the stomach
ingested
Breakdown of proteins (in the stomach)
Pepsin (enzyme) Trypsin (enzyme)

● Secreted from epithelial cells that line the ● Secreted by the pancreas
stomach ○ Remains inactive until it reaches the small
● Breaks proteins down into peptides intestine
● Breaks down proteins into peptides
-shorter chain of
amino acids ● The optimum pH of trypsin is 9
-peptides are
soluble
Protein
Amino acids
Peptide

● Optimum pH of pepsin is 1-2

*Proteins in the stomach are only broken down into peptides and not amino acids, the breaking down of
peptides into amino acids occurs only in the small intestine.
Role of bile

● Bile is a green watery fluid

MADE Liver

STORED Gallbladder

DELIVERED Duodenum (in small intestine)

● Bile is alkaline due to the presence of sodium hydrogen ENZYME OPTIMUM pH
carbonate (NaCO₃) Pepsin pH 1-2
● Bile emulsifies fats
Trypsin (around) pH 9

Pancreatic pH 3-6
Starch is only broken down in the mouth (salivary lipase
amylase), and in the duodenum by pancreatic
amylase. Both have an optimum pH of 7. Amylase (around) pH 7
What organs or actions aid chemical digestion
● Stomach lining produces hydrochloric acid (HCL) to kill any pathogens. This
acid is also to provide an optimum pH for the pepsinogen to convert into
pepsin.
● The lining also produces various juices.
● The stomach also pounds the food around to mix with the available juices
(peristalsis).
Chemical digestion in the mouth
● In the mouth, along with mechanical digestion chemical digestion takes place
● In the saliva of the mouth, there is an enzyme called amylase present
● This enzyme aids in the breakdown of starches, polysaccharides and complex
carbohydrates into simple sugars
● Salivary amylase is the first step in chemical digestion