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The function of the GI tract is to process ingested food by mechanical and chemical means, extract nutrients and excrete waste products. The GI tract is composed of the alimentary canal, that runs from the mouth to the anus, as well as the associated glands, chemicals, hormones, and enzymes that assist in digestion.
Gastric activity involved in digestion is divided into three phases of digestion known as the cephalic phase, the gastric phase, and the intestinal phase. These phases overlap and all three can occur simultaneously. [1] A fourth phase of acid secretion is known as the basal state which occurs in the times between meals (interdigestive phase).
The taste buds are innervated by a branch of the facial nerve the chorda tympani, and the glossopharyngeal nerve. Taste messages are sent via these cranial nerves to the brain. The brain can distinguish between the chemical qualities of the food. The five basic tastes are referred to as those of saltiness, sourness, bitterness, sweetness, and ...
[1] [2] Absence of enteropeptidase results in intestinal digestion impairment. [ 3 ] Enteropeptidase is a serine protease ( EC 3.4.21.9 ) consisting of a disulfide-linked heavy-chain of 82-140 kDa that anchors enterokinase in the intestinal brush border membrane and a light-chain of 35–62 kDa that contains the catalytic subunit. [ 4 ]
In most organisms, excess carbohydrates are regularly catabolised to form acetyl-CoA, which is a feed stock for the fatty acid synthesis pathway; fatty acids, triglycerides, and other lipids are commonly used for long-term energy storage. The hydrophobic character of lipids makes them a much more compact form of energy storage than hydrophilic ...
The three major classes of nutrients that undergo digestion are proteins, lipids (fats) and carbohydrates: Proteins are degraded into small peptides and amino acids before absorption. [19] Chemical breakdown begins in the stomach and continues in the small intestine.
Its main function is to absorb the products of digestion (including carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and vitamins) into the bloodstream. There are three major divisions: Duodenum : A short structure (about 20–25 cm long [ 18 ] ) that receives chyme from the stomach, together with pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes and bile from the ...
Disaccharides are a type of carbohydrate. Disaccharides consist of compound sugars containing two monosaccharides with the elimination of a water molecule with the general chemical structure C12H22O11. Oligosaccharides are carbohydrates that consist of a polymer that contains three to ten monosaccharides linked together by glycosidic bonds.