Chemical Digestion &
Absorption
Dr. B Ndlovu
Learning Outcomes:
• Major enzymes involved in
chemical digestion
• Processes involved in the
absorption of the digestive end-
products
• Digestion :
changes food into forms that can pass
through epithelial cells lining mucosa into
underlying blood and lymphatics
• Absorption :
passage of these digested nutrients from GIT
into blood or lymph
Digestion of Carbohydrates
• Carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth
• Salivary amylase digests starch into maltose and
dextrins (shorter polysaccharides)
• In the stomach, salivary amylase becomes
inactive due to HCL
• The most extensive digestion occurs in the small
intestine
Digestion of carbohydrates
• Pancreatic amylase digests starch → maltose + dextrins
(shorter polysaccharides)
• Intestinal cells secrete lactase, sucrase, maltase and α-
dextrinase- digest disaccharides/ polysaccharides into
monosaccharides
Absorption of carbohydrates
• Monosaccharides are absorbed into
bloodstream (glucose, fructose, galactose)
• They are transported across the intestinal
epithelium into the blood by facilitated
diffusion or secondary active transport
• Secondary active transport is coupled to active
transport of Na+ (symporter)
Absorption of carbohydrates..
Carbohydrate Metabolism
• The liver converts galactose
into glucose
• The liver stores glucose as
glycogen or exports it back into
the blood
• Indigestible carbohydrates
(fiber) are broken down by
bacteria in the large intestine
• High fiber diet is good - ↓ in
blood glucose
Disorders
• Lactose intolerance- when people do not have
enough lactase enzyme, lactose is not sufficiently
broken down
• Undigested lactose is digested by bacteria and
produce gases leading to diarrhea, bloating and
abdominal cramps
• The severity of symptoms depends on lactose
consumption and the degree of lactase deficiency
Digestion of proteins
• Begins in the stomach
• The stomach secretes gastric juices containing HCL
and pepsin
• Protein chemical digestion begins in the stomach;
pepsin digests proteins into shorter polypeptide
chains
• Eating a high-protein meal increases the amount
of time required to sufficiently break down the
meal in the stomach
• In the small intestine: Pancreatic enzymes
(trypsin & chymotrypsin) breakdown long
polypeptides shorter polypeptides chains
• Carboxypeptidase and aminopeptidase
breakdown shorter polypeptide chains free
amino acids
Protein Absorption
• Occurs mainly in the lower parts of
the small intestine (duodenum &
jejunum)
• Amino acids are transported through
intestinal cells into blood then to the
liver
• absorbed by active transport
coupled to sodium
• Secondary active transporters for di-
& tri-peptides (hydrolysed into
amino acids in cells)
• Small amounts of intact proteins
cross the intestinal epithelium
(antibodies in breast milk)
Digestion of Lipids
• In the small intestine, bile emulsify fats into smaller
fat droplets
• Emulsification increases the surface area of lipids-
making them more accessible to digestive enzymes
• Pancreatic lipases and colipase break down fats
(triacylglycerols and diglycerides) into free fatty acids
& monoglycerides
• Fatty acids and monoglycerides are absorbed into the
blood
Lipid Absorption
• Bile salts envelop the fatty acids & monoglycerides to form micelles
• Micelles= fatty acid core with water soluble exterior
• Fatty acids and monoglycerides diffuse into the cell, leaving micelles
in chyme
• Inside the intestinal epithelial cells, monoglycerides and fatty acids
reassemble themselves into triacylglycerols
• Cholesterol is transported into the cell by a membrane transporter
• Triacylglycerols, cholesterol and phospholipids and fat soluble
vitamins are coated with lipoprotein to = chylomicrons
• Chylomicrons are released into the lymphatic system
Lipid digestion
& absorption
Water Absorption
• Total volume of fluid entering SI each day is about 9
litres (7 litres = GIT secretions!)
• 8.9 litres is absorbed per day (majority in SI )
• Normally only 0.1 litre (100 ml) of water excreted per
day
• All water absorption in GIT occurs by osmosis from
the intestines through epithelial cells into blood
Vitamin Absorption
• Fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E &K) included in micelles -
absorbed by simple diffusion
• Most water soluble vitamins (B vitamins & vitamin C)
absorbed by simple diffusion
• Vitamin B12 - combines with intrinsic factor. Complex
absorbed in ileum by receptor-mediated endocytosis
Absorption
• Absorbed nutrients and
water are returned via the
hepatic portal system
