Understanding Other Digestive Physiology

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AP Biology › Understanding Other Digestive Physiology

Questions 1 - 10
1

One of the functions of the liver is __________.

to produce bile, triglycerides, and cholesterol

to act as the main storage center for bile

to secrete epinephrine and norepinephrine

to physically digest food

to produce insulin in its specialized beta cells

Explanation

The liver has a large number of functions, including metabolizing toxins, synthesizing proteins, and storing glucose in the form of glycogen. The only answer choice that describes liver functions is the production of bile, triglycerides, and cholesterol.

The pancreas produces insulin from beta cells, the gall bladder stores bile, and the adrenal medulla secretes epinephrine and norepinephrine. Physical digestion takes place mainly in the mouth and stomach, not the liver.

2

Amylase is a digestive enzyme responsible for breaking down which macromolecules found in food?

Carbohydrates

Proteins

Lipids

Nucleic acids

None of these

Explanation

The correct answer is carbohydrates because amylase is the enzyme that is able to break these macromolecules down into smaller parts. There are two kinds of amylase found in the body, salivary amylase in the mouth and pancreatic amylase in the pancreas. Both of these are involved in the breakdown of carbohydrates in digestion.

3

What is the major enzyme in saliva that acts on carbohydrates?

Salivary amylase

Lingual lipase

Salivary trypsin

Lingual pepsin

Lingual amylase

Explanation

Salivary amylase in the mouth targets large starch molecules and begins the digestion process to a monosaccharide (i.e. glucose). Salivary amylase secretion is stimulated by the recognition of starch on sweet taste receptors, and is carried out by the salivary glands (parotid, submandibular, and sublingual).

4

Which digestive system organ secretes enzymes vital for lipid digestive, and where are these enzymes introduced into the digestive tract?

Enzymes from the pancreas are introduced into the duodenum

Enzymes from the liver are introduced into the stomach

Enzymes from the liver are introduced into the colon

Enzymes from the pancreas are introduced into the stomach

Explanation

Lipase is synthesized and secreted from the pancreas into the duodenum of the small intestine. Lipase plays a key role in the digestion of lipids.

5

Which of the following statements about the hormone secretin is false?

All of these choices are correct

It is released when acid enters the duodenum, where it is secreted

It stimulates bicarbonate secretion in the pancreas

It inhibits motility in the stomach

Explanation

Secretin is a hormone released by the duodenum in response to an influx of acid. The hormone targets the stomach, to reduce the amount of acid that can pass through to the small intestine, and the pancreas, to increase secretion of bicarbonate, which neutralizes the acidity.

6

Which of the following statements about cholecystokinin (CCK) and gastrin is true?

Both hormones target the stomach, but for different functions

Both hormones are secreted only by the duodenum

Both hormones target the pancreas, but for different functions

Both hormones target the gall bladder to release bile

Explanation

Cholecystokini (CCK) targets the stomach to inhibit motility, while gastrin targets the stomach to increase motility. Gastrin is secreted by the duodenum and the stomach, but targets only the stomach. CCK, however, targets the stomach, pancreas, and gall bladder.

7

Zymogens are excreted in the digestive system in order to __________.

Prevent accidental digestion of the body's proteins rather than dietary protein

To save energy by producing an effective, but less costly enzyme

Be more specific to digestion

Be more resilient to the low pH of the stomach

Be more active than enzymes and break down food quickly

Explanation

Zymogens are inactive forms of enzymes that are secreted in order to prevent the accidental digestion of the body's important proteins (i.e. other enzymes, structural proteins). These zymogens are then activated through further processing in the compartments in which they are meant to work.

8

Which of the following does not take place in the small intestine?

Proteins are broken down into amino acids by pepsin

Fats are broken down into fatty acids by pancreatic lipase

Carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars by pancreatic amylase

Fats are emulsified into smaller particles by bile

Fats are broken down into glycerol by pancreatic lipase

Explanation

Complete digestion takes place in the small intestine, but pepsin is present in the stomach where it breaks down proteins to peptides. The pH in the stomach is very low, and pepsin, like all enzymes, has an optimal temperature and pH at which it functions best. For pepsin, this pH happens to be very low. The other enzymes mentioned that function in the small intestine have optimal pH's close to the pH of the small intestine (which is slightly alkaline due to the pancreas secreting bicarbonate).

9

Ammonia is a byproduct of digestive absorption. It is converted to urea by the liver and expelled in the urine.

Which macromolecule is responsible for the presence of the ammonia byproduct during digestion and absorption?

Proteins

Fatty acids

Carbohydrates

All macromolecules create an ammonia byproduct

Explanation

In order to answer this question, visualize the macromolecules as their monomers. The chemical formula for ammonia is , so the monomer will need to include nitrogen. Carbohydrates are chains of monosaccharides and are only composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Fatty acids are nonpolar molecules, and are composed of only carbon and hydrogen. Proteins are composed of amino acid monomers. Amino acids have an amino terminus, which includes a nitrogen atom. As a result, only proteins have the nitrogen atom which can be used in the byproduct of ammonia.

10

Which of the following enzymes does NOT directly contribute to protein digestion?

Gastrin

Pepsin

Trypsin

Chymotrypsin

Explanation

Gastrin is secreted in the stomach, and stimulates the secretion of hydrochloric acid by parietal cells. The other three enzymes directly aid in the digestion of proteins. Trypsin and chymotrypsin are released from the pancreas into the duodenum, and pepsin digests proteins located in the stomach. Each of these has different cleavange targets within protein sequences and can be used as a restriction enzyme in experimental procedures.

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