B3 Standardised Homework

Note: An enzyme = a protein that act as a biological or chemical catalyst → something that
makes reactions happen faster / speeds up (/‘accelerate’) the biological or chemical reaction

Q1.          (a)     A food contains protein. Describe, in as much detail as you can, what
happens to this protein after the food is swallowed.

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Once you put the food into your mouth, mechanical digestion will take place; this
means you are using your teeth to chew and break down large bits of food into
smaller digestible bits of food. The enzyme ‘Amylase’ found in your saliva, (made
in the salivary glands; which is a part of your mouth) also helps to break down
starchy foods (food with carbohydrate in). Once these small pieces of food have
been mixed with the saliva, they then travel down your oesophagus. Muscles
called Peristalsis then contract to enable your food to move to the stomach. Once
the food containing protein has reached your stomach, it is broken down by the
enzyme ‘Protease’. Protease enzymes work best in acidic conditions, since the
stomach produces hydrochloric acid, which maintains a low, and therefore acidic
pH, the Protease will be most effective, as they are at their optimum pH. The
stomach muscles will contract meaning the food is being mixed up and churned
around mechanically in the very strong Hyrdoclauric acid and Protease enzymes.
After the Proteases have broken down the protein in the food, into smaller chains
called ‘amino acids’ move into the upper/first part of the small intestine, called the
duodenum. The duodenum connects the stomach and small intestine. The
protease enzymes made in the pancreas will also travel to the small intestine, via
the duodenum. They travel from the pancreas, through the pancreatic duct which
connects to the duodenum, into the small intestine. Now that the stomach
protease enzymes have done their job, the pancreatic protease enzymes and the
protease enzymes found in the small intestine can break down these smaller
amino acid chains even further, meaning even more digestion occurs. Amino
acids are joined head-to-tail by a peptide bond, in long linear polymers, which are
broken by proteases. (peptides are basically when there are two or more links and
polymers are basically when lots of monomers (e.g. amino acids) are joined
together). Such chains of amino acids are called “polypeptides.” (Therefore the
duodenum helps to further digest food coming from the stomach. (It also absorbs
nutrients; vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, proteins and water from food so
they can be used by the body)).

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(4)

(b)     The table shows the activity of lipase on fat in three different conditions.
 
CONDITION UNITS OF LIPASE
ACTIVITY PER MINUTE
Lipase + acid solution 3.3

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Lipase + weak alkaline 15.3
solution
Lipase + bile 14.5

          Explain, as fully as you can, the results shown in the table.

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(3)

(Total 7 marks)

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