Question

In: Anatomy and Physiology

Why is the phenomenon of emulsification important for us nutritionally? Consider BOTH biological processes (what happens...

Why is the phenomenon of emulsification important for us nutritionally? Consider BOTH biological processes (what happens in your body) well as how this concept applies to prepared foods.

Solutions

Expert Solution

Emulsification is the process of breaking down the fat into smaller globules making it easy for the enzymes to act and digest the food .

  • Emulsification of fats helps in digestion of fats into fatty acids and glycerol which an be easily absorbed by small intestine
  • Emulsification of fats occurs in liver and liver secretes bile where bile is a yellow fluid which is normally stored in gall bladder. Bile is alkaline in nature and contains salts which helps to emulsify the fats.
  • Bile salts help in the breakdown of oil droplets into small globules forming a milky emulsion and this process facilitates further digestion of fats.
  • Steapsin is a pancreatic lipase which acts on the already emulsified fats and converts them to fatty acids and glycerol and this aids in the easy digestion of food.

Emulsification in Prepared Food.

Digestion

Before absorbing the food components, large molecules are broken into smaller ones that can be taken into the bloodstream. Some simple sugars, such as glucose, do not require digestion prior to absorption. starches, proteins and fats must be broken down first.

Digestion of carbohydrates begins in the mouth; protein digestion starts in the stomach.

Fat Emulsification

Carbohydrates and proteins dissolve in water, which allows digestive enzymes to go to work on them, but fat does not. Liver produces a substance called bile, which is secreted into the small intestine. This breaks up fat in a process called emulsification, which effectively make the fats water-soluble. Digestive enzymes in the small intestine can then break them down.

Absorption of Carbohydrate and Protein

Carbohydrates and proteins are absorbed in the small intestine, but their component molecules -monosaccharides and amino acids, respectively that cannot pass through the cell membranes of the small intestine into the bloodstream. Transporter proteins in the cells lining the small intestine use sodium to help move monosaccharides and amino acids into the blood.

Absorption of Fats

Triglycerides, the fat molecules in food, consist of a backbone molecule called glycerol bound to three molecules called fatty acids. During digestion, fat, breaks down into two fatty acids and a monoglyceride, which is a glycerol with one fatty acid. These molecules do not need to be transported across the small intestine lining; they can migrate directly into the cells of the lining. From there, they proceed into the lymphatic system and eventually make their way into the bloodstream.


Related Solutions

Why is the phenomenon of Learned Flavor Aversions important? What does it tell us about learning,...
Why is the phenomenon of Learned Flavor Aversions important? What does it tell us about learning, in general?
why does himan skin color vary? What biological phenomenon is this a good example of? What...
why does himan skin color vary? What biological phenomenon is this a good example of? What is race? Does biological evidence support classic ideas of race? Why or why not?
Chelating agents are important for many biological processes. List and describe three such processes.
Chelating agents are important for many biological processes. List and describe three such processes.
What are vaccines and why are they important for us?
What are vaccines and why are they important for us?
Describe the role of biological and cognitive processes in both operant and classical conditioning.
Describe the role of biological and cognitive processes in both operant and classical conditioning.
7. There are millions of enzymes which play important role in various biological processes in the...
7. There are millions of enzymes which play important role in various biological processes in the body and outside. There are many commercial applications of enzymes as they are used in detergents and also meat tenderizing etc... Given below are five reactions catalyzed by enzymes. Based on the reactions ā€˜aā€™ to ā€˜eā€™ identify and define the class of the enzyme and write the general equation of that class a. Glutamate is subjected to dehydrogenation in the presence of NAD to...
What is efficiency, and why is it so important? 2. What happens to consumer and producer...
What is efficiency, and why is it so important? 2. What happens to consumer and producer surplus when the sale of a good is taxed? How does the change in consumer and producer surplus compare to the tax revenue? Explain.
What is efficiency, and why is it so important? 2. What happens to consumer and producer...
What is efficiency, and why is it so important? 2. What happens to consumer and producer surplus when the sale of a good is taxed? How does the change in consumer and producer surplus compare to the tax revenue?
Sperm rely on both microtubules and microfilaments for key biological processes. Explain the role of microtubules...
Sperm rely on both microtubules and microfilaments for key biological processes. Explain the role of microtubules and dynein in movement of sperm. Explain the role of actin in the process of fertilization.
What are five biological concepts or processes that are essential to life and are affected by...
What are five biological concepts or processes that are essential to life and are affected by water pollution?. For example, if your topic is eutrophication, you might select photosynthesis as one of your biological concepts or processes to analyze.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT