NCERT Biology Grade 11 Chapter 16 Digestion and absorption

CBSE NCERT Solutions for Class 11 biology Chapter 16

Exercises

Q.1. Gastric juice contains

Pepsin, Lipase and Rennin

Solution: Gastric glands secrete Gastric juice in the stomach. It carries out the digestion of fats, proteins, and curdling of
milk; hence, the enzymes present in it are lipase, pepsin and rennin. Trypsin is the activated trypsinogen, one
of the compositions of pancreatic juice. Digestion of protein occurs inside stomach by pepsin enzyme in the
presence of HCl. The lipases digest lipids into fatty acids and glycerol. Rennin is a proteolytic enzyme which
is present in gastric juice of infants. It digests milk proteins. This enzyme is absent in adults.

Trypsin, Lipase and RenninTrypsin, Pepsin and LipaseTrypsin, Pepsin and Renin

Q.2. Succus entericus is the name given to

Junction between ileum and large intestineIntestinal juice

Solution: Succus entericus is secreted by the Crypts of Lieberkuhn and Brunner’s gland, and it is known as intestinal
juice. It contains enzymes such as maltase, lactase, sucrase for the digestion of disaccharides, lipases for the
digestion of emulsified fats, nucleosidases for the digestion of nucleosides and dipeptidases for the digestion of
peptides and peptones, etc.

Swelling in the gutAppendix

Q.3. What would happen if HCl were not secreted in the stomach?

Solution: HCl is secreted by the oxyntic cells of the gastric glands of the stomach. HCl helps in the activation of
digestive enzymes and in destroying harmful bacteria that would be present in the ingested food.

If HCl were not secreted by the gastric gland, the conversion of pepsinogen into pepsin would not occur; hence
the conversion of proteins into peptones and peptides would not take place.

Q.4. How does butter in your food gets digested and absorbed in the body?

Solution: Butter is composed of the lipid (fats).

Digestion of butter:

Bile from the gall bladder is released into the duodenum where it acts upon the fats, and the bile salts
carry out the emulsification of fats.

Bile creates an alkaline environment that activates pancreatic lipase. Pancreatic lipase catalyses the fats
into diglycerides and further into mono-saccharides.
The intestinal lipase present in the intestinal juice succus entericus further converts di-glycerides and
mono-glycerides in simple absorbable forms which are fatty acids and glycerol.

Absorption of butter in the body:

The final product of fat digestion is fatty acid and glycerol. They are insoluble and are not absorbed by
the body directly.
Fatty acids and glycerol are converted into small droplets known as micelle and are transported into the
intestinal mucosa.

They are converted into protein-coated fat globules known as chylomicrons.

These globules are further transported into lymphatic vessels known as lacteals in villi. The lymph
vessels further release the absorbed substances into blood vessels.

Q.5. Discuss the main steps in the digestion of proteins as the food passes through different parts of the alimentary canal.

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NCERT Biology Grade 11 Chapter 16 Digestion and absorption

Solution: The digestion of proteins starts in the stomach and ends in the small intestine. The enzymes that act on proteins
are known as proteases.

Digestion in the stomach:

The digestive juice secreted by the gastric glands present in the stomach walls is called gastric juice. The
main components of gastric juice are HCl, pepsinogen and rennin.
The active pepsin formed by the action of HCl on inactive pepsinogen converts proteins into proteases
and peptones.

Proteins→PepsinProteases + Peptides

Digestion in the small intestine:

The food from the stomach is acted upon by two types of secretions in the small intestine; Pancreatic
juice and Intestinal juice.

Action of pancreatic juice:

Pancreatic juice contains a variety of inactive enzymes such as trypsinogen, chymotrypsinogen and
carboxypeptidases.
From the intestinal mucosa enzyme, enterokinase is secreted that activates trypsinogen into trypsin.

Trypsinogen→EnterokinaseTrypsin + Inactive peptide Chymotrypsinogen→TrypsinChymotrypsin

Proteins→ChymotrypsinPeptides

On the carboxyl end of the peptide chain, carboxypeptidases act on it and help in releasing the last
amino acids.

Peptides→CarboxypeptidaseSmaller peptide chain + Amino acids

Q.6. Explain the term thecodont and diphyodont.

Solution: Organisms in which the teeth are embedded in the sockets of jaws are known as the thecodont.

The dentition in which teeth grow twice in entire life is referred to as diphyodont. In human life, teeth grow
twice in the entire life. The first set is known as milk teeth, which is replaced by permanent teeth.

Q.7. Name different types of teeth and their number in an adult human.

Solution: There are four different types of teeth in humans:

Incisors (I) -They are total eight. Four incisors are present in the upper jaw, and four incisors are present
in the lower jaw.These teeth have sharp edges and the main function of incisors is cutting food into
small, chewable pieces.

Canines (C) –There are a total of four them. Two are present in the upper jaw, and two are present in the
lower jaw. The main function of the canine is gripping and tearing the food(such as tough meat).

Premolars (PM) - Premolars are eight in number. They are present four in each jaw. They help in the
grinding of the food.
Molars (M)- There are a total of 12 molars present that are 6 in each jaw and four of those are wisdom
teeth, which come in between the ages of 17 to 25.They help in the mastication of the food.

Q.8. What are the functions of the liver?

Solution: The primary functions of the liver are:

Bile production and excretion.

Excretion of bilirubin, cholesterol, hormones, and drugs.
Metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.

Enzyme activation.
Storage of glycogen, vitamins (A, D, E, and K) and minerals.
Blood detoxification and purification.

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NCERT Biology Grade 11 Chapter 16 Digestion and absorption

Q.9. Match column I with column II

Column I Column II
(a) Bilirubin and biliverdin (i) Parotid
(b) Hydrolysis of starch (ii) Bile
(c) Digestion of fat (iii) Lipases
(d) Salivary gland (iv) Amylases

Solution: (a) -(ii),

Bile is secreted by the liver. It contains bile salts and bile pigments like bilirubin, that imparts yellow colour
and biliverdin that imparts a green colour to the bile juice.

(b)-(iv),

Starch is a complex carbohydrate. Enzymes that digest carbohydrates are called amylases.

(c)-(iii),

Fats are also known as lipids. Enzymes that digest lipids are called lipases.

(d)-(i),

There are three pairs of salivary glands situated around the buccal cavity, namely, Parotid gland, submaxillary
gland and sublingual gland.

Column-I Column-II
(a) Bilirubin and biliverdin (ii) Bile
(b) Hydrolysis of starch (iv) Amylases
(c) Digestion of fat (iii) Lipases
(d) Salivary gland (i) Parotid

Q.10. Why are villi present in the intestine and not in the stomach?

Solution: The inner walls of the small intestine have millions of microscopic finger-like projections called villi. These
projections increase the surface area for absorption. Each of these villi contains microvilli and a set of small
blood vessels. The blood vessels transport the absorbed nutrient. They are absent in the stomach as digestion is
not complete in the stomach, and maximum absorption takes place in the small intestine.

Q.11. How does pepsinogen change into its active form?

Solution: Pepsinogen is the inactive form of the enzyme pepsin. It gets converted into an active form in an acidic
medium due to the presence of HCl.

Q.12. What are the basic layers of the wall of the alimentary canal?

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NCERT Biology Grade 11 Chapter 16 Digestion and absorption

Solution:

Diagram showing lining of the stomach

The basic four layers of the human alimentary canal are-

1. Serosa: Outermost layer of the alimentary canal.
2. Muscularis: This is the second layer formed by inner circular and outer longitudinal muscles.
3. Submucosa: This is the third layer.
4. Mucosa: Forms the fourth layer.
The innermost space is the lumen.

Q.13. How does bile help in the digestion of fats?

Solution: Bile is secreted by the liver and is stored in the gall bladder. It is released in the duodenum and provides the
alkaline medium for the action of pancreatic enzymes.

Bile causes the emulsification of fat, which means the conversion of fat into fat droplets. This increases the
surface area of food for the action of the enzyme lipase.

Q.14. State the role of pancreatic juice in the digestion of proteins.

Solution: Pancreatic juice is released into the duodenum through the hepato-pancreatic duct. The enzyme for the protein
digestion is present in the inactive form in pancreatic juice are:
-Trypsinogen
-Chymo-trypsinogen

Steps for the digestion of proteins by the pancreatic juice is as follows:

The enzyme trypsinogen gets activated into trypsin in the presence of enzyme enterokinase secreted in
the small intestine in alkaline medium.
Trypsin further acts upon the enzymes chymotrypsinogen and pro-carboxy peptidase and converts it into
chymotrypsin and carboxypeptidase.

Trypsin, chymotrypsin, and carboxypeptidase acts on peptides, peptones, and proteases and converts
them into dipeptides.
Dipeptidases in intestinal juice further act on dipeptides and convert them into amino acids.

Q.15. Describe the process of digestion of protein in the stomach.

Solution: Digestion of proteins begins in the stomach:

The food enters the stomach by the opening of the gastro-esophageal sphincter, and in the stomach, the
secretion of gastric juice and HCl takes place.
Gastric juice contains proenzyme, pepsinogen. In the presence of the acidic medium, it gets converted
into pepsin.

Pepsin acts on proteins and converts them into proteases and peptones.
Gastric juice also contains the enzyme rennin, which is a proteolytic enzyme. It carries out the digestion
of milk protein in infants.

Q.16. Give the dental formula of human beings.

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NCERT Biology Grade 11 Chapter 16 Digestion and absorption

Solution: The dental formula is the representation of different types and number of the teeth in the upper half and lower
half of the jaw in adult human being is 21232123.

Where: Incisors- 2, Canines- 1, Premolars- 2, and Molars- 3, are present in each jaw.

Q.17. Bile juice contains no digestive enzymes, yet it is important for digestion. Why?

Solution: Bile juice is synthesized by the liver, stored in the gall bladder, and is released into the duodenum.
It contains bile pigments like bilirubin and biliverdin and bile salts, which are important for digestion.

Bile salts help in the emulsification of fat by breaking down fat into smaller fat droplets known as a
micelle.
It also provides an alkaline medium for the activation of the pancreatic enzyme such as lipases.

Q.18. Describe the digestive role of chymotrypsin. Which two other digestive enzymes of the same category are secreted by its
source gland?

Solution: Chymotrypsin is the enzyme that is present in the pancreatic juice. It is present in an inactivated form called
chymotrypsinogen. Chymotrypsin acts on proteins and converts them into dipeptides.

Other digestive enzymes that belong to the same category of chymotrypsin are trypsin and carboxypeptidase.
They perform a similar function in the digestion of proteins.

Q.19. How are polysaccharides and disaccharides digested?

Solution: Digestion of polysaccharides (starch): It begins in the mouth. In the oral cavity, hydrolytic enzyme salivary
amylase carries out the breakdown of starch to maltose at slightly acidic pH. 30% of polysaccharide is digested
in the mouth.

Polysaccharide starch is further digested by pancreatic amylase and is converted into disaccharides in the
presence of the pancreatic enzyme.

Digestion of disaccharides (maltose, lactose, and sucrose): They get digested into the simple absorbable form
of monosaccharides in the duodenum of the small intestine by the action of several intestinal enzymes present
in the intestinal juice.

Maltose →MaltaseGlucose+Glucose

Lactose →LactaseGlucose+Galactose Sucrose →SucraseGlucose+Fructose

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NCERT Biology Grade 11 Chapter 16 Digestion and absorption

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