In the digestive process, what occurs in the small intestine and what nutrients are digested or absorbed in the small intestine?
In the digestive process, what occurs in the small intestine and what nutrients are digested or absorbed in the small intestine?
90% of the digestion and absorption of food occurs here. Proteins, peptides and amino acids are acted upon by enzymes such as trypsin and chymotrypsin, breaking them down into smaller peptides. Lipases, helped by bile salts, act on fats and lipids, breaking them down into free fatty acids and monoglycerides. Carbohydrates are broken down to simple sugars and monosaccharides like glucose.Once broken down the nutrients are absorbed by the inner walls of the small intestine into the blood stream. Nutrients are absorbed by processes of simple/passive diffusion, facilitated diffusion, primary active transport, or secondary active transport
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