Carbohydrate digestion

Mouth Stomach





Small intestine

















Chewing stimulates the secretion of
saliva
Salivary amylases is produced
Starch is hydrolyzed into maltose &
shorter polysaccharides
Food is swallowed
Food bolus is delivered to the
stomach
Acidic environment denatures
salivary amylase
Pancreatic amylase is produced
(pancreas) & secreted (small
intestine)
Chyme is slowly released (small
intestine)
Pancreatic amylase digests starch
to maltose
Maltase, surcease & lactase are
secreted by mucosal cells (small
intestine)
Enzymes (see above) digest
disaccharides to monosaccharaides
Maltase digests maltose into 2
glucose molecules
Sucrase digests sucrose into glucose
& fructose
Lactase: digests lactose into glucose
& galactose
Monosaccharaides are absorbed
into cells of the small intestine &
enterocytes
Monosaccharaides enter the
bloodstream travel to liver
Traveling monosaccharaides are
used as energy
Once they arrive to the liver,
fructose & galactose are converted
to glucose
Glucose is transported to cells for
energy
Excess glucose is stored as glycogen
(liver & muscle cells)
Some glycogen is stored by glial cells (brain)
Fiber (unabsorbed carbohydrates) are passed (large intestine)

Protein













Fats (lipids) digestion
Mouth Stomach








Starts in the mouth by being
chewed & moistened by saliva
In the stomach proteins are
denatured by hydrochloric acid.
Pepsin is activated to start to
break proteins into single
amino acids & smaller
polypeptides
In the small intestine secretions of
proteases help digest polypeptides
into even smaller units.
Cells in the wall of the small
intestine complete the breakdown
of all polypeptides into single amino
acids

The liver transports the single
amino acids and directs them to
the cells as needed
Salivary glands in mouth produce
the enzyme lingual lipase that
digest some triglycerides (very
little digestion of fats occurs in
the mouth)
Most fat arrives intact at the stomach
where it is mixed & broken down into
droplets
Gastric lipase digests some triglycerides


Gallbladder Small Intestine

Releases bile into small
intestine (bile is produced
by the liver & stored in
gallbladder)
Bile from the gallbladder
breaks fat into smaller
droplets: pancreatic enzymes
break triglycerides into two
separate fatty acids &
monoglyceride
Micelles transport free fatty
acids to mucosal cells of the
small intestine for absorption
in the intestinal mucosal cell
Fatty acids are reattached to
the monoglyceride to reform
triglycerides
A small amount of protein
is added to the lipids
forming a chylomicron
Chylomicron: a lipoprotein
produced by cells lining
the small intestine
composed of triglycerides
surrounded by
phospholipids & proteins
Chylomicrons remove
absorbed fats from the
small intestine
Travel through the
lymphatic system & are
transferred to the
bloodstream
The chylomicron gets to a cell in
the body
The triglycerides in the
chylomicrons must be
disassembled by lipoprotein
lipase into 2 fatty acids & a
monoglyceride before they can
pass through cell membrane
After entering the cell, the 2 fatty acids & monoglyceride reform a triglyceride
The triglyceride can be used immediately to make lipid containing compounds, or
stored in liver & muscle cells
Jessica Alvarez
June 19, 2014 NUTR 011
Understanding Macronutrients Project
All three macronutrients are digested partially similarly in that they are chewed,
swallowed, and then sent to be digested. Their similarities are vague because since each
macronutrient is needed for different things they have differences in digestion and absorption.
With the flow charts it was easier to understand what each one does and has to go through for
our body to benefit from their consumption.
For carbohydrates the digestion begins in the mouth with because chewing stimulates
the secretion of saliva and salivary amylases is produced. The starch is hydrolyzed into maltose
& shorter polysaccharides. The food bolus is then sent to the stomach where the acidic
environment denatures the salivary amylase. In the small intestine Maltase, surcease & lactase
are secreted by mucosal cells. Enzymes digest disaccharides to monosaccharaides. Maltase
digests maltose into two glucose molecules. Continuing in the small intestine, pancreatic amylase
from the pancreas in secreted in the small intestine. Chyme is slowly released and the pancreatic
amylase digests starch into maltose. Sucrase digests sucrose into glucose & fructose an then
Lactase digests lactose into glucose and galactose. Monosaccharaides are absorbed into cells of
the small intestine and enterocytes. Monosaccharaides enter the bloodstream and travel to liver,
while they are traveling they are used as energy. When they get to the liver fructose and
galactose are converted to glucose. Glucose is transported to cells as energy and excess is stored
glycogen in the liver and muscles. Some glycogen is stored by glial cells in the brain and the
unabsorbed carbohydrates, fiber, are passed through the large intestine.
Protein digestion seems to be a bit quicker in that there are fewer steps that go into it
compared to the digestion of carbohydrates. In the mouth proteins are basically just chewed as
not much digestion occurs in the mouth for proteins. When proteins get to the stomach they are
denatured by hydrochloric acid and then pepsin is activated starts to break down proteins into
single amino acids and smaller polypeptides. In the small intestine secretions of proteases help
digest polypeptides into smaller units. The cells in the wall of the small intestine complete the
breakdown of all polypeptides into single amino acids. The single amino acids are then
transported to the liver and it directs them to the cells as needed.
Lipid digestion begins in the mouth as well with the enzyme lingual lipase that digests
some triglycerides but very little digestion happens in the mouth. Most fat will arrive in tact to
the stomach where it is mixed and broken down into droplets and gastric lipase digests some
triglycerides. The gallbladder releases bile, which is produced by the liver and stored in the
gallbladder, into the small intestine. In the small intestine the bile breaks fat into the small
droplets and pancreatic enzymes break triglycerides into two separate fatty acids and
monoglyceride. The micelles transport free fatty acids to mucosal cells of the small intestine for
absorption into the intestinal mucosal cell. Fatty acids are reattached to the monoglycerides to
reform triglyceride. A small amount of protein is added to the lipids which forms a chylomicron,
which removes absorbed fats from the small intestine. They travel through the lymphatic system
and are transferred to the blood stream. The chylomicron gets to a cell in the body and the
triglycerides in the chylomicrons must be disassembled by lipoprotein lipase into two fatty acids
and a monoglyceride before they can pass through the cell membrane. After entering the cell the
two fatty acids and monoglyceride reform a triglyceride. The triglyceride can be used
immediately to make lipid containing compounds or it can be stored in the liver and muscle cells.