Question

I eat a plate of whole wheat pasta with olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Follow the processing (digestion, movement and absorption) of this food from Mouth through Anus. Be sure to discuss what occurs to each food type (just proteins, carbohydrates and fat) at each area of the digestive tract. Include processes that occur, chemicals or enzymes that are present. Include how this food moves through the different parts of the GI tract.

Answer 1

Digestion of the pasta dish begins in the mouth with chewing and the action of amylase. Further digestion of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats happens in the small intestine with the help of enzymes from the small intestine, pancreas, and bile. Absorption occurs mainly in the small intestine, while the large intestine absorbs water and compacts waste material into feces.

Step-by-step explanation:

Digestion of the pasta dish begins in the mouth. Chewing breaks down the food into smaller pieces, while the enzyme amylase in saliva begins to break down carbohydrates into simpler sugars. As the food moves through the esophagus and into the stomach, no significant digestion occurs. In the stomach, the acidic environment stops the action of the amylase enzyme.

In the small intestine, digestion continues with the help of enzymes produced by the small intestine, the pancreas, and bile produced by the liver. Here, carbohydrates are fully broken down into simple sugars, proteins are broken down into amino acids, and fats are broken down into fatty acids and glycerol.

Absorption mainly occurs in the small intestine. Nutrient molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream through the epithelial cells lining the walls of the small intestine. The waste material then travels to the large intestine, where water is absorbed and the remaining waste material is compacted into feces. Feces are stored in the large intestine until they are eliminated through the anus.