Digestion of Carbohydrates, Lipids, and Protein

Digestion of Carbohydrates, Lipids, and Protein

Digestion of Carbohydrates, Lipids, and Protein


























Digestion of Carbohydrates, Lipids, and Protein

Carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth. Chewing stimulates saliva secretion from
the salivary glands. Saliva contains the enzyme salivary amylase, which breaks down starch into
polysaccharides and maltose. Salivary amylase is then destroyed by acids in the stomach,
therefore no carbohydrate digestion takes place in the stomach.
The remaining starch is broken down into maltose by pancreatic amylase. The enzymes
maltase, sucrose and lactase in the small intestine break down disaccharides into
monosaccharides which are then absorbed by the small intestine and enter the bloodstream.
Monosaccharides then travel thru the portal vein, into the bloodstream where they turn into
glucose and move cells to provide energy. Excess glucose is stored in the liver and muscle as
glycogen.
Some undigested carbohydrates make their way to the large intestine where they are
broken down by bacteria. The remaining fiber is released in feces.
Unlike carbohydrate digestion, very little lipid digestion takes place in the mouth.
Lingual lipase is secreted by the salivary glands which digests triglycerides. Fats then arrive in
the stomach where it is then mixed and broken down into droplets. Gastric lipase digests some
triglycerides.
Now we move to the small intestines where lipid digestion primary takes place. Bile
from the liver (which is stored in the gallbladder) and digestive enzymes from the pancreas aid
in this process. These enzymes break triglycerides into monoacylglycerides and fatty acids.
More lipid-digesting enzymes from the pancreas break cholesterol esters and phospholipids
into their respective components. Fat digestion products then combine with bile salts in the
Digestion of Carbohydrates, Lipids, and Protein

formation of micelles. Micelles then transport lipid digestion products to the enterocytes,
where micelle components reform triglycerides and turn into chylomicrons for transport to the
lymphatic system. Fatty acids are then absorbed directly to the bloodstream.
As carbohydrate digestion takes place in the mouth; and as lipid digestion takes place in
the small intestine; protein digestion also differs by beginning in the stomach.
Mouth chewing and saliva break down food proteins which are then transported to the
stomach where they are broken down by hydrochloric acid. The activation of pepsin breaks
down proteins into single amino acids and small polypeptides. The secretion of proteases take
place in the small intestines to digest these polypeptides into smaller units. Cells located in the
small intestine wall complete the breakdown into single amino acids which are absorbed into
the bloodstream. Lastly they are passed to the liver, converted to either glucose or fat, and
then used for energy or sent to the cells as needed.