39 Answer

Exercise 39
Digestive System Processes: Chemical and Physical
Pre-Lab Quiz
1. Circle the correct underlined term. Enzymes are catalysts / substrates that
increase the rate of chemical reactions without becoming a part of the product.
2. One enzyme that you will be studying today, produced by the salivary glands
and secreted into the mouth, hydrolyzes starch to maltose. It is salivary amylase.
3. Circle True or False. When you use iodine to test for starch, a color change to
blue-black indicates a positive starch test.
4. The enzyme, produced by the pancreas, is responsible for breaking down

proteins.
a. amylase b. kinase c. lipase d. trypsin
5. Circle True or False. Both smooth and skeletal muscles are involved in
the propulsion of foodstuffs along the alimentary canal
REVIEW SHEET
Digestion of Foodstuffs: Enzymatic Action

1. Match the following definitions with the proper choices from the key.
Key: a. catalyst d. control c. enzyme d. substrate
D 1. substance on which a catalyst works
C 2. biologic catalyst; protein in nature
A 3. increases the rate of a chemical reaction without becoming part of the product
B 4. provides a standard of comparison for test results
2. Describe how an enzyme differs from a substrate.

Enzymes bind with chemical reactants called substrates. There may be one or
more substrates for each type of enzyme, depending on the particular
chemical reaction. In some reactions, a single-reactant substrate is broken
down into multiple products. In others, two substrates may come together to
create one larger molecule.
3. The enzymes of the digestive system are classified as hydrolases. What does this
mean?
Digestive enzymes are all hydrolases, and their activity is to break down big
food molecules into their 'building block' components. Another distinguishing
feature is that they are extracellular enzymes that mingle with food as it goes
through the digestive tract.
4. Fill in the following chart about the various digestive system enzymes
encountered in this exercise.
Enzyme Organ Site of action Substrate(s) Optimal pH

Optimal pH producing it
Salivary salivary oral cavity starch 6.7–7.0
amylase glands
Trypsin pancreas small intestine proteins 8.0
Lipase pancreas small intestine fats 7.4–8.0
(pancreatic)
5. Name the end products of digestion for the following macromolecules.

proteins: amino acids
carbohydrates: simple sugars
fats: fatty acid and glycerol (monoglycerides)
6. Explain why salivary amylase would not digest protein.

Salivary amylase does not break down proteins because it lacks the necessary
3D structure to initiate protein breakdown. Amylase and peptides do not have
suitable 3D conformations, hence catalysis is inhibited.
7. Explain why salivary amylase would be less active in the stomach than in the
mouth.
Because the salivary amylase is secreted in the mouth, in its optimal
environment of neutral pH. It is then denatured in the stomach due to its
acidic pH.
8. In Activities 1 through 3, you used several indicators or tests in the laboratory to

determine the presence or absence of certain substances. Choose the correct test or
indicator from the key to correspond to the condition described below.
Key: a. Lugol's iodine (I Kl) b. Benedict's solution c. litmus d. BAPNA
D 1. used to test for protein hydrolysis, which was indicated by a yellow color
A 2. used to test for the presence of starch, which was indicated by a blue-black
color
C 3. used to test for the presence of fatty acids, which was evidenced by a color
change from blue to pink
B 4. used to test for the presence of reducing sugars (maltose, sucrose, glucose) as
indicated by a blue to green or orange color change
9. What conclusions can you draw when an experimental sample gives both a
positive starch test and a positive maltose test after incubation?
Starch digestion is incomplete.
Why was 37° (the optimal incubation temperature?

It is body temperature.
Why did very little, if any, starch digestion occur in test tube 4A?
The enzyme was destroyed by boiling
When starch was incubated with amylase at 0°, did you see any starch digestion?
No.
Why or why not?

Amylase has an optimal temperature closer to that of the human body. At
0°C, the rate of enzyme activity and diffusion of enzymes and substrate has
slowed to near zero.
Assume you have said to a group of your peers that amylase is capable of starch
hydrolysis to maltose. If you had not done control tube 1 A, what objection to your
statement could be raised?
A positive maltose test could also result from maltose contamination of the
starting amylase solution
What if you had not done tube 2A?

A negative Benedict’s test indicates starch was not contaminated with maltose.
(And that starch did not break down in the absence of amylase.)
10. In the exercise concerning trypsin function, why was an enzyme assay such as
Benedict's or Lugol's iodine (IKI), which test for the presence of a reaction
product, not necessary?
The enzyme assay is “built in” to the substrate BAPNA. Peptide bond
cleavage results in a yellow color.
Why was tube 1T necessary?

Tube 1T was a control to prove that trypsin did not turn yellow by itself.
Why was tube 2T necessary?
Tube 2T proved that BAPNA did not turn yellow by itself.
Trypsin is a protease similar to pepsin, the protein-digesting enzyme in the
stomach. Would trypsin work well in the stomach? NO.
Why or why not? The pH optimum for trypsin is slightly basic; the pH
optimum for pepsin is acidic (stomach is acidic).
11. In the procedure concerning pancreatic lipase digestion of fats and the action of
bile salts, how did the appearance of tubes 1E and 2E differ?
1E—2 layers; oil over water. 2E—fat droplets dispersed.
Explain the reason for the difference

Bile, present in tube 2E, acted to emulsify the fat.
Why did the litmus indicator change from blue to pink during fat hydrolysis?
Fatty acids decreased the pH. Litmus in the cream is an indicator that
changes from blue to red as the pH changes from alkaline to acidic conditions.
Why is bile not considered an enzyme?

Bile only physically separates the fat droplets. It does not break the molecular
bonds as do the digestive enzymes.
How did the tubes containing bile compare with those not containing bile?
The tubes containing bile showed more hydrolysis than those not containing
bile.
What role does bile play in fat digestion?

Emulsification of fat by bile increases the surface area for lipase activity.
12. The three-dimensional structure of a functional protein is altered by intense

heat or nonphysiological pH even though peptide bonds may not break. Such
inactivation is called denaturation, and denatured enzymes are nonfunctional.
Explain why.
Their three-dimensional structures and active sites are necessary for their
activity. If their structures are changed, the active sites change, thus
inactivating the enzyme.
What specific experimental conditions resulted in denatured enzymes?

Boiling the enzyme solution in all experiments denatured the enzymes.
13. Pancreatic and intestinal enzymes operate optimally at a pH that is slightly

alkaline, yet the chyme entering the duodenum from the stomach is very acid. How
is the proper pH for the functioning of the pancreatic-intestinal enzymes ensured?
The pancreas delivers its enzymes to the small intestine in an alkaline-rich
(HCO₃ ̅) fluid.
14. Assume you have been chewing a piece of bread for 5 or 6 minutes. How
would you expect its taste to change during this interval?
The bread would begin to taste sweet.
Why?
Starch is broken down to maltose by amylase.
15. Note the mechanism of absorption (passive or active transport) of the following
food breakdown products and indicate by a check mark (/) whether the absorption
would result in their movement into the blood capillaries or the lymphatic
capillaries (lacteals).
Substance Mechanism of absorption Blood Lymph
Monosaccharides Most by active transport ✓
Fatty acids and Diffusion Some Most

monoglycerides
Amino acids Active transport ✓
Water Osmosis ✓
Na⁺, Cl⁻, Ca²⁺ Na⁺, Ca²⁺ active transport; Cl⁻ ✓
diffusion
16. People on a strict diet to lose weight begin to metabolize stored fats at an
accelerated rate. How does this condition affect blood pH?
It would become acidic (decreased pH).
17. Some of the digestive organs have groups of secretory cells that liberate
hormones into the blood. These exert an effect on the digestive process by acting
on other cells or structures and causing them to release digestive enzymes, expel
bile, or increase the motility of the digestive tract. For each hormone below, note
the organ producing the hormone and its effects on the digestive process. Include
the target organs affected.
Hormone Produced by Target organ(s) and effects

Secretin intestinal It stimulates (1) the pancreas and liver to release
mucosa bicarbonate-rich fluid, and (2) the liver
to secrete bile. Inhibits gastric activity.
Gastrin stomach Gastrin acts on the stomach glands to increase their
mucosa secretory activity (particularly of HCl).
Cholecystokinin intestinal It stimulates release of enzymes from the pancreas,
mucosa and causes gallbladder contraction.
Physical Processes: Mechanisms of Food Propulsion and Mixing

18. Complete the following statements.
Swallowing, or 1, occurs in two phases- the 2 and 3 One of these phases, the 4
phase, is voluntary. During the voluntary phase, the 5 is used to push the food into
the back of the throat. During swallowing, the 6 rises to ensure that its passageway
is covered by the epiglottis so that the ingested substances don't enter the
respiratory passageways. It is possible to swallow water while standing on your
head because the water is carried along the esophagus involuntarily by the process
of 7. The pressure exerted by the foodstuffs on the 8 sphincter causes it to open,
allowing the foodstuffs to enter the stomach. The two major types of propulsive
movements that occur in the small intestine are 9 and 10. One of these movements,
11, acts to continually mix the foods and to increase the absorption rate by moving
different parts of the chyme mass over the intestinal mucosa, but it has less of a
role in moving foods along the digestive tract.
1. deglutition 7. peristalsis
2. buccal 8. gastroesophageal
3. pharyngeal-esophageal 9. peristalsis
4. buccal 10. segmentation
5. tongue 11. segmentation
6. larynx
19. Celiac disease is caused by a misdirected immune response to the protein

gluten. The villi in the small intestine are damaged by the patient's own immune
response. Enzyme supplements designed to digest gluten have proved to be
ineffective. Hypothesize why these enzyme supplements would not be active in the
stomach.
Oral enzyme supplements are ineffective because of time constraints and
protein breakdown in the stomach.
20. Individuals with cystic fibrosis are plagued by increased production of mucus.
This excess mucus has a variety of effects on the body, including decreased
production of pancreatic enzymes and blockage of the pancreatic ducts that secrete
enzymes. Describe how impaired pancreatic enzyme secretion affects digestion
In impaired pancreatic enzyme secretion, the thickened secretions of mucus
can block the ducts in the pancreas. This blockage causes a drop in the
amount of digestive enzymes the pancreas puts out. Because of this, a person
with cystic fibrosis has trouble absorbing fats, some proteins, and fat-soluble
vitamins A, D, E, and K. The problems with the pancreas can get very severe.

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Exercise 39

Digestive System Processes: Chemical and Physical

4. The enzyme, produced by the pancreas, is responsible for breaking down

Digestion of Foodstuffs: Enzymatic Action

2. Describe how an enzyme differs from a substrate.

Enzyme Organ Site of action Substrate(s) Optimal pH

5. Name the end products of digestion for the following macromolecules.

6. Explain why salivary amylase would not digest protein.

8. In Activities 1 through 3, you used several indicators or tests in the laboratory to

Why was 37° (the optimal incubation temperature?

Why or why not?

What if you had not done tube 2A?

Why was tube 1T necessary?

Explain the reason for the difference

Why is bile not considered an enzyme?

What role does bile play in fat digestion?

12. The three-dimensional structure of a functional protein is altered by intense

What specific experimental conditions resulted in denatured enzymes?

13. Pancreatic and intestinal enzymes operate optimally at a pH that is slightly

Fatty acids and Diffusion Some Most

Hormone Produced by Target organ(s) and effects

Physical Processes: Mechanisms of Food Propulsion and Mixing

19. Celiac disease is caused by a misdirected immune response to the protein

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