Behaviour of Bile: Oil, water and baking soda experiment Emulsification of fats is also a vital part of DIGESTION.

To absorb fat, it must first be digested. The process of digesting fat is called emulsification. Digestion of carbohydrates begins in the mouth; protein digestion starts in the stomach. Fat digestion does not begin until it reaches the small intestine.

Water = bile

Oil = fat particles

The liver produces (makes) bile. Bile is stored in the gallbladder. Bile is secreted (flows) into the duodenum and mixes with the chyme (mixture of liquefied food and gastric juices) from the stomach.

The acid from the stomach makes the large fat particles float to the top of the bile (just like the oil droplets float on the surface of the water). Most of the fluid in the digestive tract is water-based, so when you eat fats, they tend to form large globules in your intestines. When the fat is in large globules, it is hard for the enzymes in the digestive tract to break down fats.

The bile, an emulsifier, breaks up the large fat particles (just like the baking soda breaks up the oil) and makes them water-soluble. This is mechanical digestion.

Chemical digestion takes place when enzymes from the pancreas break down the fat molecules (just like the bicarbonate of soda/baking soda breaks up the oil).