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Chemical digestion
Explain that chemical digestion involves breaking down large insoluble molecules into smaller soluble ones.
8
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80
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56
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90 min
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CambridgeIGCSEBiologyHuman nutrition
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Chemical digestion outcomes8 objectives
- Explain that chemical digestion involves breaking down large insoluble molecules into smaller soluble ones.
- Identify the importance of chemical digestion in creating small soluble molecules that can be absorbed by the body.
- Outline the roles of enzymes: (a) amylase converts starch into simple sugars, (b) proteases convert proteins into amino acids, (c) lipase converts fats and oils into fatty acids and glycerol.
- Identify the locations in the digestive system where amylase, protease, and lipase are produced and where they function.
- Explain the roles of hydrochloric acid in gastric juice, focusing on its ability to kill harmful microorganisms in food and create an acidic environment for optimal enzyme function.
- Describe how starch is digested in the digestive system: (a) amylase breaks starch down into maltose, (b) maltase converts maltose into glucose at the surface of the small intestine's epithelial lining.
- Explain how proteins are digested by proteases in the digestive system: (a) pepsin acts on proteins in the acidic stomach, (b) trypsin acts on proteins in the alkaline small intestine.
- Clarify that bile is an alkaline substance that neutralizes the acidic mixture of food and gastric juices entering the duodenum from the stomach, creating a suitable pH for enzyme activity.
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