BI 242 - Digestive Physiology Lab Notes (Spring 2022)

Digestion

The breakdown of food, including mechanical and chemical digestion.

Mechanical Digestion

Physical breakdown of food into smaller pieces without chemical change.

Chemical Digestion

Involves digestive enzymes breaking down large molecules into smaller ones.

Enzyme

Proteins that catalyze (speed up) chemical reactions without being consumed.

Active Site

The region on an enzyme where substrates bind and undergo a chemical reaction.

Denatured Enzyme

An enzyme whose shape has changed so it does not function properly.

Bile Salts

Produced by the liver, they help emulsify fats in the digestive system.

Lipase

An enzyme that digests lipids, produced in three regions of the digestive system.

Peristalsis

The wave-like muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract.

Segmental movements

Substrate

The specific reactant on which an enzyme works.

HCl (Hydrochloric Acid)

Substance that denatures proteins in the stomach and activates pepsinogen.

Amylase

An enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of starch into simpler sugars.

Benedict's Test

A test used to detect the presence of reducing sugars, indicated by color change.

Lugol's Test

A test used to detect starch, indicated by a blue-black color.

Carbohydrates

Organic macromolecules that include sugars and starches, broken down into monosaccharides.

Proteins

Organic macromolecules that are broken down into amino acids.

Lipids

Fats that are broken down into glycerol and fatty acids.

Nucleic Acids

Organic macromolecules that are broken down into nucleotides.

Where is bile produced, stored and its function

Delglutition

the medical term for swallowing