In: Anatomy and Physiology
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 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.