Digestion of triglycerides

• Which types of digestion does the digestion of triglycerides require?

  Physical and chemical digestion
• What does the physical digestion of triglycerides require?

  Bile
• Where is bile produced and where does it work?

  Bile is produced in the liver and works in the ileum.
• What does the chemical digestion of triglycerides require?

  Lipase
• What is bile made of?

  Bile salts
• What does bile do?

  • Emulsifies fats and neutralises stomach acid (hydrochloric acid)
• Why does bile emulsify triglyceride droplets?

  To break them down into smaller droplets which increases the surface area available to lipase. This means there are more enzyme binding sites -> faster rate of enzyme-substrate complexes formed -> faster hydrolysis.
• Define emulsification.

  The breaking of large lipid droplets into small lipid droplets
• Write the equation for the chemical digestion of triglycerides.

  $triglycerides\ +$$3H_2O\ \rightarrow\ glycerol\ +$$3\ fatty\ acids$
• Which bond is hydrolysed by lipase in the chemical digestion of triglycerides?

  Ester bond
• How can triglyceride digestion be measured?

  By measuring pH. (more Tg digestion -> more fatty acids produced -> lower pH)
• How can pH be measured?

  Universal indicator, pH meter
• What is formed when lipase hydrolyses triglycerides?

  Monoglycerides & fatty acids
• Where is lipase produced and what does it do?

  • Produced in pancreas
  • Breaks ester bonds in triglycerides to form:
  • monoglycerides
  • glycerol
  • fatty acids
• What is the role of bile?

  • Emulsify lipids to form tiny droplets and micelles
  • increases surface area for lipase action - faster hydrolysis