Question

A piece of meat and a piece of fruit are fed to both a lizard and a person. The extent to which these foods are digested by digestive enzymes along these two gastrointestinal tracts varies. Which of the following is NOT a reason for the variation in digestion?

( ) pH of the digestive organs
( ) body temperature
( ) variation in enzymes produced
( ) amount of protein in the meat and fruit
( ) bacteria present in the digestive tract

Answer 1

The variation in digestion between a lizard and a person is not due to the amount of protein in the meat and fruit; it's due to differences in pH, body temperature, enzyme variety, and gut bacteria.

Step-by-step explanation:

amount of protein in the meat and fruit.

To explain, the digestion variation is not due to the amount of protein in the meat and fruit being fed to both the lizard and the person. The factors concerning digestion variability include the pH of the digestive organs, body temperature, variation in enzymes produced, and the bacteria present in the digestive tract.

The environment of the gastrointestinal tract, like the acidity level, affects enzyme activity; pepsin, for instance, functions best in the acidic stomach environment. Body temperature influences enzyme shape and function, where most enzymes have an optimum temperature, close to the normal body temperature of 98.6°F, for maximum efficiency. Numerous enzymes, specific to organisms, catalyze the breakdown of food molecules. Moreover, gut bacteria contribute to the digestion of certain substances and may vary greatly between species. The protein content of the food itself does not inherently cause variations in digestion by different organisms.