4/6/14 Understanding Macronutrients Project Carbohydrates: The digestion process of Carbohydrates begins in the outh !here che!ing he"ps stiu"ate the sa"i#ary g"ands in the outh. $ediate"y after!ard, the sa"i#ary ay"ase begins to brea% do!n starch into sa""er po"ysaccharides a"ong !ith a"tose. &fter!ard, the process o#es on to the stoach !here the sa"i#ary ay"ase en'ye is destroyed by the acid "ocated in the stoach (no other for of digestion occurs in the stoach. The process proceeds to the pancreas !here the pancreatic ay"ase is discharged into the sa"" intestine. Ne)t, in the sa"" intestine, the pancreatic ay"ase finishes brea%ing do!n the reaining starch into a"tose. &"so, additiona" en'yes (a"tase, sucrose, "actase, etc.* are sent out by ucosa" ce""s (ce""s that "ine the sa"" intestine* to digest reaining disaccharides into onosaccharides !hich are then absorbed by enterocytes (another type of ce"" that "ines the sa"" intestine* and continue to enter the b"oodstrea to!ards the "i#er through porta" #ein. $t is at the "i#er !here the onosaccharides are con#erted to g"ucose !hich circu"ates in the b"ood as our priary energy source. &s for the e)cess g"ucose, they are stored in the "i#er as g"ycogen and is a"so transported to the usc"e. +ast"y, in the "arge intestine, carbohydrates %no!n as fiber pass through !ith on"y soe of it being ab"e to be bro%en do!n by bacteria !hich produce short chain fatty acids that can aid in the hea"th of the co"on. The reaining fiber is then discarded through the feces. Lipids: The start of the digestion process of fats is in the outh !here the sa"i#ary g"ands produce an en'ye ca""ed "ingua" "ipase !hich is ab"e to digest soe trig"ycerides. ,o""o!ing is the stoach !here ost fat coes intact !here it is i)ed !ith the acids in the stoach and are bro%en into drop"ets. The gastric "ipase "ocated in the stoach is a"so ab"e to digest soe trig"ycerides. The ne)t step is the short process of the ga""b"adder re"easing bi"e (produced by the "i#er and stored in the ga""b"adder* into the sa"" intestine. The bi"e then proceeds to brea% the fat into e#en sa""er drop"ets and the pancreatic en'yes ("ipid-digesting en'yes fro the pancreas* proceed to brea% the reaining trig"ycerides into t!o fatty acids (separated* and a onog"yceride. The fat then enters the ucosa" ce"" in the for of a spherica" ice""e (consists of fatty acids, onog"ycerides, phospho"ipids, and stero"s*. $nside the intestina" ucosa" ce"", the fatty acids reattach to the onog"ycerides to recreate trig"ycerides. &"so, a sa"" aount of protein !as added to the "ipids !hich fors a ch"yicron !hich is a "ipoprotein that is produced by ce""s "ining the sa"" intestine. Ch"yicrons are a"so %no!n for being a transport #ehic"e that reo#e absorbed fats to the sa"" intestine. The Ch"yicrons tra#e" through the "yphatic syste and are transferred to the b"oodstrea. &t the oent that the chy"oicrons get to a ce"" in the body, the trig"ycerides in the chy"oicrons ha#e to be disasseb"ed by "ipoprotein "ipase into t!o fatty acids and a onog"yceride before they can pass through the ce"" ebrane. .nce they enter the ce"", the t!o fatty acids and onog"yceride refor a trig"yceride. &t this point, they ha#e three options, to be used iediate"y for energy, a%e "ipid-containing copounds, or to be a%e "ipid-containing copounds. Proteins: The digestion of proteins starts off !ith the outh by crushing the proteins in food and oistening the by sa"i#a. /igestion then o#es do!n to the stoach !ith the proteins being bro%en do!n by hydroch"oric acid. 0ydroch"oric acid a"so acti#ates pepsin !hich is an en'ye that brea%s do!n proteins into short po"ypeptides and aino acids. The proteins then head to the sa"" intenstine !here pancreatic en'yes ca""ed proteases cop"ete the digestion of proteins into sing"e aino acids. Ce""s in the !a"" of the sa"" intestine then cop"ete the brea%do!n of the rest of the po"ypeptides into sing"e aino acids. +ast"y, the aino acids are then transported to the "i#er and are sent throughout the ce"" as needed.