Question

A patient has a chronic disease of the pancreas due to alcoholism and does not have adequate amounts of the enzyme lipase. Which of these problems would this create? Difficulty digesting:

1) carbohydrates
2) fats
3) proteins
4) vitamins

Answer 1

A chronic pancreatic disease causing a deficiency in the enzyme lipase would lead to difficulty in digesting fats. Lipase is essential for breaking down lipids in the small intestine, and its insufficiency can cause malabsorption and other digestive issues.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a patient has a chronic disease of the pancreas due to alcoholism, resulting in insufficient amounts of the enzyme lipase, this would create problems in digesting fats. Lipase is responsible for breaking down lipids into fatty acids and glycerol in the small intestine, a process that is critical for fat digestion. Without adequate levels of lipase, this process would be hindered, leading to malabsorption and deficiencies in fat-soluble vitamins, among other issues.

In contrast, the digestion of carbohydrates is primarily facilitated by amylase, which the pancreas also produces, while proteins are mainly digested by proteases like trypsin and chymotrypsin, and vitamins typically do not require digestion as they can be absorbed in their present form, depending on their solubility (fat-soluble or water-soluble vitamins).