Question

6. Now thinking about digestion, describe the relationship you see regarding why mechanisms exist to control the secretion of the various digestive juices (and, in some instances, their enzymatic composition) as compared to the amount of substrate that is in the digestive tract at a given time.

7. What consequences would the rate at which an enzyme works to convert a substrate to a product have in the digestive system?

Answer 1

Question no 6

Yes different reflexes and Mechanism are present to control the secretion of the enzymes for digestion

This mechanism is maintained to

1. Make sure that each and every molecule present in food is digested
2. If the amount of enzymes produced reduce in content when compared to amount of food it will cause the reduction in the efficiency of digestion
3. Malnutrition will occur if Proper amount of digestive enzymes are not produced in conjunction to the amountof food
4. Each enzyme has different substance for digestion of different components , so accordingly when the food has excess amount of a specific substance then the enzyme will concentrate the specific enzyme to digest it
5. When the amount of digestive enzyme become excess it might lead to degradation of the stomach wall or the GI system which should be inhibited . For example if tryipsin is produced in excess it will lead to degradation of the protein content in stomachs wall as it is a proteolytic enzyme

Question no 7

The rate at which an enzymes can convert an substance to product is called it's efficiency. When the efficiency of an enzyme is higher it will lead to better digestion of the substance. Different enzymes and their efficiency are set to a limit such that our body gets enough nutrient at the correct time . When the efficiency reduces it will cause lack of nutrients and when efficiency is maintained will have the required nutrients as per body needs