Tasks in digestion

In order for the nutrients contained in food to be absorbed, i.e. absorbed into the cells of the small intestine wall and thus into the body, they must first be broken down into their smallest units. This is because only for these units do the small intestine cells possess the corresponding receptors. This decomposition is known as digestion.

Digestive enzymes play a decisive role in digestion. They are produced in glands and then gradually released (secreted) into the interior of the mouth, stomach and intestines. Without digestive enzymes, the nutrients from food cannot enter the body and the body would lack its important energy suppliers.

Fats are mostly absorbed in the form of so-called triglycerides in food. Before absorption, i.e. the absorption of nutrients into the intestinal cells, they must be broken down into their individual components, the fatty acids. In this way, the fat-soluble vitamins stored in the fats are also released and can be absorbed.

Poly sugars and some disaccharides must also be broken down into individual sugar molecules with the help of enzymes. Last but not least, the proteins remain, which are broken down enzymatically into the amino acids of which they are composed. Thanks to the enzyme salivary lamylase, the digestion of various polysaccharides already begins in the mouth.

In the stomach, the enzyme pepsin is added to the chyme, which digests proteins. However, most of the digestion takes place in the small intestine. The enzymes that do their work in the small intestine are produced in the pancreas.

From the pancreas, a duct leads to the initial part of the small intestine, where the enzymes are mixed with food. In the course of the small intestine, the individual building blocks, the fatty acids, vitamins, amino acids and sugar molecules can then be absorbed. A total of eight different enzymes are mainly used in the small intestine.

Trypsin and chymotrypsin split proteins and long amino acid chains into short amino acid chains. The carboxypeptidases A and B in turn split the short amino acid chains into separate amino acids. The lipase also requires bile acids and a co-lipase for its function.

With the help of these it breaks down triglycerides into fatty acids. Cholesterol esterase also needs bile acids. As its name suggests, it separates cholesterol from fats.

Besides cholesterol, other fatty acids are also released. The alpha-amylase resembles the one in the mouth converts starch into maltose (a double sugar). Foodstuffs always contain DNA strands as carriers of genetic information.

They do not serve humans as energy suppliers, but provide important building blocks for the production of DNA molecules. In this way, the body saves valuable energy that it does not have to invest in the complete new synthesis of these building blocks. The responsible enzymes are ribonuclease and deoxyribonuclease.

The carboxypeptidases A and B in turn break down the short amino acid chains into separate amino acids. The lipase requires additional bile acids and a co-lipase for its function. With the help of these it breaks down triglycerides into fatty acids.

Cholesterol esterase also needs bile acids. As its name suggests, it separates cholesterol from fats. Besides cholesterol, other fatty acids are also released.

The alpha-amylase resembles the one in the mouth converts starch into maltose (a double sugar). Foodstuffs always contain DNA strands as carriers of genetic information. They do not serve humans as energy suppliers, but provide important building blocks for the production of DNA molecules. In this way, the body saves valuable energy that it does not have to invest in the complete new synthesis of these building blocks. The responsible enzymes are ribonuclease and deoxyribonuclease.