Question

1. Describe how the fats are broken down from the fat globules to chylomicrons in the small intestine. Be sure to name them at every step.

Answer 1

• In the mouth, carbohydrates are broken down by amylase into maltose(disaccharide)and then move down the esophagus, which produces mucus for lubrication, but no digestive enzymes.

• In the duodenum, disaccharides are broken down into monosaccharides produced are then absorbed into the bloodstream and transported to cells to be used in metabolic pathways to harness the energy.

• In the stomach, proteins are broken down into peptides, which are then broken down into single amino acids that are absorbed in the bloodstream though the small intestine.

• Lipids(fats) are digested in the small intestine by bile salts through the process of emulsification, which allows lipases to divide lipids into fatty acids and monoglycerides.

• Monoglycerides and fatty acids enter absorptive cells in the small intestine through micelles; they leave micelles and recombine into chylomicrons, which then enter the bloodstream.