Author Question: Describe the role of the stomach in the process of digestion. ... (Read 43 times)

WhattoUnderstand · **on:** Aug 20, 2018

Describe the role of the stomach in the process of digestion.

Question 2

Kimchi is served at every Korean meal.
a. True
b. False
Indicate whether the statement is true or false

amandalm · **Reply #1 on:** Aug 20, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Gastric juice, secreted by the gastric glands, is composed of water, enzymes, and hydrochloric acid. The acid is so strong that it burns the throat if it happens to reflux into the upper esophagus and mouth. The major digestive event in the stomach is the initial breakdown of proteins. Other than being crushed and mixed with saliva in the mouth, nothing happens to protein until it comes in contact with the gastric juices in the stomach. There, the acid helps to uncoil (denature) the protein's tangled strands so that the stomach enzymes can attack the bonds. Both the enzyme pepsin and the stomach acid itself act as catalysts in the process. Minor events are the digestion of some fat by a gastric lipase, the digestion of sucrose (to a very small extent) by the stomach acid, and the attachment of a protein carrier to vitamin B12 . The stomach enzymes work most efficiently in the stomach's strong acid, but salivary amylase, which is swallowed with food, does not work in acid this strong. Consequently, the digestion of starch gradually ceases as the acid penetrates the bolus. In fact, salivary amylase becomes just another protein to be digested. The amino acids in amylase end up being absorbed and recycled into other body proteins.

Answer to Question 2

True