Digestion and Industry

Digestion

A process that breaks down large insoluble molecules into smaller useful soluble molecules via enzymes, chemicals and mechanical action

Large insoluble molecules

Such as carbohydrates, proteins and lipids, need to be broken down during digestion into dissolvable products that can be absorbed by the body

Small soluble molecules

Products of digestion such as glucose, amino acids, glycerol and fatty acids, these molecules are small enough to be absorbed by the body for specific uses

Absorption

Small soluble molecules can be absorbed in the small intestine following digestion, they diffuse into the blood and are then transported around the body for specific purposes

Carbohydrates

Provide energy for chemical reactions and can break down into sugars

Proteins

The building blocks of cells and tissues that can break down into amino acids

Lipids

An energy store of fats and oils that can break down into glycerol and fatty acids

Conversion of glucose to complex carbohydrates

Glucose, a product of digestion, can be converted into new complex carbohydrates such as glycogen

Glucose

A soluble product of digestion, essential for respiration to release energy and is also needed to synthesise new molecules

Formation of lipid molecules

Glycerol and fatty acids, products of digestion, join together to form new lipids

Protein synthesis

Amino acids, products of digestion, join together in specific arrangements to form new proteins for growth and repair

Enzymes

Biological catalysts which speed up reactions without being used up, essential for the digestion of large insoluble molecules

Amylase

A carbohydrase enzyme found in saliva and the small intestine that breaks the chemical bonds in starches

Carbohydrases

Enzymes that speed up the breakdown of carbohydrates into simple sugars

Lipase

Enzyme found in the small intestine that breaks down lipids into glycerol and fatty acids

Protease

Enzyme found in the stomach and small intestine that breaks down proteins into amino acids

Commercial and industrial use

Enzymes can be used to improve many products and industrial processes, they are used in detergents, making cheese, making alcohol and bread, making medicines and industrial chemicals

Biological detergents

Washing powders that contain enzymes such as protease and lipase and can save energy by working at lower temperatures

Economical benefit of enzymes in industry

Enzymes can speed up the rates of reaction without being used up, they lower the energy needed for reactions meaning reactions can take place at lower temperatures, overall enzymes make processes quicker and cheaper