Question

PLEASE HELP!!! Pepsin, an enzyme that digests proteins, performs optimally in the stomach environment, which has a pH of approximately 1.5 due to the presence of acidic gastric juices. Hypochlorhydria is a disorder where an individual does not produce enough hydrochloric acid in the stomach, leading to a pH range between 4 and 5.

What are the consequences of this disorder on the functionality of pepsin and the digestion of proteins in the stomach?

A) Pepsin will adapt to work at a higher pH and protein digestion will continue, but at a slower rate.

B) Pepsin activity will speed up as the pH of the environment increases and protein digestion will increase.

C) The primary structure of pepsin will break down and protein digestion will stop since there will be no substrate specificity.

D) The secondary and tertiary structures of pepsin are altered, and proteins will no longer be able to fit in the active site of pepsin.

Answer 1

Option d is the correct answer. Hypochlorhydria raises the pH level in the stomach, altering the secondary and tertiary structures of pepsin and impairing its ability to digest proteins. This can lead to inefficient protein digestion and potential nutritional deficiencies.

Step-by-step explanation:

The consequences of hypochlorhydria on the functionality of pepsin and the digestion of proteins in the stomach are significant. Pepsin is an enzyme that breaks down proteins into smaller peptides, functioning optimally in a highly acidic environment with a pH of about 1.5. When the pH level in the stomach rises to between 4 and 5, as occurs with hypochlorhydria, the enzyme's activity is compromised. The correct answer to the given question is D: The secondary and tertiary structures of pepsin are altered, and proteins will no longer be able to fit in the active site of pepsin. As a result, protein digestion by pepsin will be inefficient since the enzyme is not stable or active at higher pH levels.

Pepsinogen, the inactive precursor of pepsin, requires a low pH to be converted into active pepsin. At a lower acidity due to hypochlorhydria, pepsinogen conversion to pepsin is impaired, further adding to the challenges of protein digestion. The decreased capacity to digest proteins can lead to various digestive problems and nutritional deficiencies.