enzymes

• What are enzymes made of?

  Large protein molecules
• What is the active site of an enzyme?

  The groove on the enzyme's surface where the substrate attaches
• What is a substrate in the context of enzymes?

  The molecule that the enzyme breaks down
• What type of enzymes break down proteins?

  Proteases
• Where are protease enzymes found in the digestive system?

  In the stomach and pancreatic fluid in the small intestine
• What are proteins made of?


  Long chains of chemicals called amino acids
• What happens to proteins during digestion?

  Protease enzymes convert proteins back to individual amino acids
• What type of enzymes break down carbohydrates like starch?

  Carbohydrases
• What is the specific enzyme that breaks down starch?

  Amylase
• Where is amylase found in the digestive system?

  In saliva and pancreatic fluid
• What enzyme digests lipids?

  Lipase
• What products are formed when lipids are digested?

  Glycerol and fatty acids
• Where is lipase found in the digestive system?

  In pancreatic fluid and the small intestine
• What is the role of bile in lipid digestion?

  Bile helps to speed up the digestion of lipids but is not an enzyme
• How does emulsification by bile affect lipid digestion?

  It increases the surface area of lipid droplets, enhancing the rate of breakdown by lipase
• What is the pH nature of bile and its effect on stomach acids?

  Bile is alkaline and neutralizes stomach acids, creating alkaline conditions in the small intestine
• What are the key enzymes involved in the digestion of different macromolecules?

  • Proteases: break down proteins into amino acids
  • Amylase: breaks down carbohydrates (like starch) into simple sugars
  • Lipase: breaks down lipids into glycerol and fatty acids
• What are the roles of bile in digestion?

  • Emulsifies large lipid droplets into smaller droplets
  • Increases the surface area for lipase action
  • Neutralizes stomach acids to create alkaline conditions in the small intestine