Mr. C.

Gomes Biology Notes

1Enzymes - Chemical catalysts.
- Found in all organisms.
- Work by a lock & key process.
- Made of protein.
- They are reusable.
- They work in a specific temp. range (5̊C - 40̊C)
- They work at a specific ph range (7)
- They are inhibited by poisons.
- They are helped by minerals and vitamins.

A catalyst is an enzyme which alters the rate of

chemical reactions.
The catalyst inside of living organisms are called
enzymes.
Optimum temp means the best temp that
enzymes work in which is 37 ̊C.
Denatured at 40 ̊C or higher due to change of shape that no longer fits the active
site.
Digestion: the breakdown of food into simple substances for absorption into the
blood stream.
The Alimentary Canal:
Mouth -> Throat -> Gullet -> Stomach -> Small Intestines – Duodenum ->
- Jejunum
- Ileum
Large Intestines – Colon -> Rectum -> Anus.
- Appendix
- Caecum

Liver & Pancreas – Helps digestion

Types of digestion:
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Mr. C. Gomes Biology Notes
- Chemical: use of enzymes to breakdown the food.
- Mechanical: churning, mixing, & chewing of the food.

Breakfast:
Cereal – Starch & Protein
Milk – Protein
Sugar – Carbohydrates
Banana – Minerals & Vitamins
Cheese & Bread – Starch & Fat
Juice – Minerals, Vitamins & Water

Ingestion –Food taken in

Mastication - chewing

Digestion – food further broken down

Absorption – in the villi of the duodenum

Assimilation – making use of digested food

Egestion – removal of waste/undigested food

Excretion – removal of metabolic waste eg. CO2, urea, bile

Steps to Digest this Breakfast:

1. Mouth – Ingestion = food in
- Mastication = Chewing
- Churning = Tongue

Salivary glands produce saliva – Moistens food - Lubricates - Kills some

germs
Saliva contains amylase which converts starch to maltose.

2. Tongue rolls the food into a ball called bolos.

3. Throat – passage of – air

- food not simultaneously.

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Mr. C. Gomes Biology Notes

4. The epiglottis covers the glottis preventing food entering the trachea.
5. Gullet or Oesophagus – series of contractions forcing the bolus to the
stomach.
The contractions are called Peristalsis.

6. Two sphincter muscles – regulate flow of food in and out the stomach.

7. Stomach – Peristalsis continues.

- Churning & mixing of food.

Gastric glands – Hydrochloric acid – kills germs – is ph pepsin to work

- Pepsin converts protein to polypeptides

Renin curdles milk in babies then pepsin acts

Food remains here for about two to three hours as chyme.

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Mr. C. Gomes Biology Notes

8. Small intestines – 5 m long

- Peristalsis continues
- Consists of two main parts – Duodenum & Ileum (villi)
- Receives substances from – Pancreas - Liver - Intestinal wall
-Absorbtion of nutrients
Produces Na H CO3 to neutralize acid contents from the stomach.

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Mr. C. Gomes Biology Notes

9. Large intestines – consists of two main parts – Colon

- Caecum & Appendix
Colon – Absorption of water to prevent dehydration.

Caecum and Appendix – roughage acts as bulk to push waste food along.
- no use in man but contains a bacteria to breakdown
cellulose in herbivores.

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Mr. C. Gomes Biology Notes
10. Rectum stores undigested food faeces ,- dead cells
- microbes, - mucus
- Passage of feces via the sphincter muscle.
11. Anus – Point of exit 24-48 hours later.

Small Intestines
Where Made Enzymes Substrate Products
Duodenum:
Liver Bile (Salt) Fats Fat droplets
Not an Enzyme)

Pancreas Amylase Starch Maltose

---------------------------------------------------------
Trypsin Polypeptides Amino acids
---------------------------------------------------------
Lipase Fat droplets Fatty acids
& Glycerol
Ileum
Intestinal wall Maltase Maltose Glucose &
Fructose
---------------------------------------------------------
Sucrase Sucrose Glucose &
Fructose
---------------------------------------------------------
Lactase Lactose Glucose &
Galactose
Peptidase Polypeptides Amino acids
Lipase Fat droplets Fatty acids
& Glycerol