CXC - Caribbean Examinations Council Human and Social Biology: The Human Digestive System Flashcards

What type of enzyme is lipase, and where is it produced?

Answer: A fat-digesting enzyme produced by the pancreas

Lipase is a fat-digesting enzyme (a type of esterase) produced mainly by the pancreas, which breaks triglycerides into fatty acids and glycerol.

Where does the majority of nutrient absorption take place in the digestive system?

Answer: Small intestine

The small intestine is the primary site of nutrient absorption, facilitated by villi and microvilli that dramatically increase its absorptive surface area.

What is peristalsis?

Answer: The wave-like muscular contractions that move food along the digestive tract

Peristalsis is the coordinated, wave-like contraction and relaxation of smooth muscle in the walls of the digestive tract that propels food forward.

Which of the following correctly describes the role of hydrochloric acid (HCl) in the stomach?

Answer: It activates pepsinogen into pepsin and kills bacteria in food

HCl in the stomach activates the inactive enzyme pepsinogen into pepsin and creates an acidic environment that kills most pathogens in ingested food.

What are the end products of protein digestion?

Answer: Amino acids

Proteases such as pepsin and trypsin break down dietary proteins through hydrolysis into their monomers, which are amino acids.

Which structure prevents food from entering the trachea (windpipe) during swallowing?

Answer: Epiglottis

The epiglottis is a flap of cartilage that folds over the glottis during swallowing, directing food into the esophagus and away from the airway.