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Syllabus

6.1 Digestion and absorption

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Core » Topic 6: Human physiology » 6.1 Digestion and absorption

Description

Nature of science:
Use models as representations of the real world—dialysis tubing can be used to model absorption in the intestine. (1.10)

Understandings:

The contraction of circular and longitudinal muscle of the small intestine mixes the food with enzymes and moves it along the gut.
The pancreas secretes enzymes into the lumen of the small intestine.
Enzymes digest most macromolecules in food into monomers in the small intestine.
Villi increase the surface area of epithelium over which absorption is carried out.
Villi absorb monomers formed by digestion as well as mineral ions and vitamins.
Different methods of membrane transport are required to absorb different nutrients.

Applications and skills:

Application: Processes occurring in the small intestine that result in the digestion of starch and transport of the products of digestion to the liver.
Application: Use of dialysis tubing to model absorption of digested food in the intestine.
Skill: Production of an annotated diagram of the digestive system.
Skill: Identification of tissue layers in transverse sections of the small intestine viewed with a microscope or in a micrograph.

Guidance:

Students should know that amylase, lipase and an endopeptidase are secreted by the pancreas. The name trypsin and the method used to activate it are not required.
Students should know that starch, glycogen, lipids and nucleic acids are digested into monomers and that cellulose remains undigested.
Tissue layers should include longitudinal and circular muscles, mucosa and epithelium.

Utilization:

Some hydrolytic enzymes have economic importance, for example amylase in production of sugars from starch and in the brewing of beer.

Syllabus and cross-curricular links:
Biology
Topic 2.1 Molecules to metabolism
Topic 2.5 Enzymes

Directly related questions

17M.1.HL.TZ1.21: Glucose is absorbed through protein channels in the plasma membrane of epithelium cells in the...
21M.1.HL.TZ1.18:
A fluid sample is taken from the digestive tract of a mammal. The sample is basic (alkaline) and able to digest starch and proteins. From which part of the digestive tract was the fluid taken?

A. Mouth

B. Stomach

C. Small intestine

D. Gall bladder
21N.2.SL.TZ0.5a:
Outline the significance of surface area to volume ratio in the limitation of cell size.
22M.2.HL.TZ2.6c:
Humans rely on carbohydrates for much of their energy. Outline the process of digestion and absorption of starch in the human digestive system.
18M.2.SL.TZ2.1a.i: Identify which organism has the highest percentage of edible mass.
18M.1.HL.TZ2.2:
The micrograph shows part of a cell.

[Source: Louisa Howard/Katherine Connollly https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Microvilli.jpg]

Which principal function is this cell likely to have, as judged by its cell structure and organelles?

A. High rate of protein processing

B. High rate of absorption

C. High rate of photosynthesis

D. High rate of movement
18M.2.HL.TZ2.4b.ii: Amylase is used in human digestion. State the function of amylase.
19M.1.SL.TZ1.24: Where in the human body is lipase produced? A. Stomach B. Pancreas C. Gall bladder D. Liver
16N.1.SL.TZ0.24: What is the main method of transport of monosaccharides such as fructose across the intestinal...
17M.1.SL.TZ2.24: Which is a process occurring in the small intestine?
21M.2.SL.TZ2.5b:
Explain how amino acids in casein could reach the liver, starting from the moment when the person takes a bite of pastry cream pie.
21N.1.SL.TZ0.24:
The diagram shows some of the organs associated with the digestion of starch. Which organ produces amylase?

[Source: Cancer Research UK. Diagram showing the parts of the digestive system. 30 July 2014. Available at: https://
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diagram_showing_the_parts_of_the_digestive_system_CRUK_324.svg.
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en [Accessed 2 December 2021]. Adapted.]
17M.1.SL.TZ1.21: Cladograms can be created by comparing DNA or protein sequences. The cladogram on the left is...
21N.1.HL.TZ1.23:
The diagram shows a cross section through the small intestine of a mammal. Which label points to the mucosa?

[Source: JOSE LUIS CALVO MARTIN & JOSE ENRIQUE GARCIA-MAURIÑO MUZQUIZ / www.istockphoto.com.]
18M.2.HL.TZ2.4b.i: Amylase is used in human digestion. State two sites of production of amylase.
19M.2.SL.TZ1.8b: Outline the role of amylase in digestion in humans.
17M.1.SL.TZ2.27: The bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae causes infections related to the human reproductive system....
22M.1.SL.TZ2.24: The graph shows the amounts of two substances present in food ingested by a healthy person as it...
18M.2.SL.TZ2.1a.ii: Calculate how much more feed is required by cattle than chickens to produce 1 kg of live mass.
18M.1.SL.TZ2.24:
The diagram shows the human digestive system. Which organ is responsible for the majority of the absorption of digested food?

[Source: BruceBlaus/Wikimedia. File licensed under CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)]
18M.2.SL.TZ2.1c: Outline the differences between the environmental impact of using mealworms and traditional farm...
18M.1.HL.TZ1.20: Bacteria from chicken feces can cause a loss of intestinal villi in small children who happen to...
18M.2.SL.TZ2.1b.ii:
Predict, with a reason, whether the amino acid composition of yellow mealworms or cattle is more suitable for a human diet.
17M.1.HL.TZ2.32: Where is absorption of digested food carried out? I. Villi II. Pancreas III. Small...
17M.2.SL.TZ1.6a: Explain how the small intestine moves, digests and absorbs food.
17M.1.HL.TZ2.31: Where does the digestion of polypeptides start in humans? A. Mouth B. Esophagus C. Stomach D....
17N.2.SL.TZ0.05b:
Discuss the roles of the enzymes secreted by the pancreas during digestion.
21M.1.SL.TZ1.26:
A fluid sample is taken from the digestive tract of a mammal. The sample is basic (alkaline) and able to digest starch and proteins. From which part of the digestive tract was the fluid taken?

A. Mouth

B. Stomach

C. Small intestine

D. Gall bladder
21M.2.SL.TZ2.5c:
Congenital lactase deficiency is a type of lactose intolerance that occurs in infants. It is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. Calculate the chance of congenital lactose intolerance in a child whose parents are both carriers for the disorder, showing fully how you reached your answer.
18N.1.SL.TZ0.23: Which products are formed by the action of the enzymes protease and amylase?
18M.2.SL.TZ2.1d:
Birds and mammals maintain constant body temperature despite considerable losses of body heat to the environment. In insects such as mealworms, body temperature is variable and is often the same as the temperature of the environment or only slightly above it. Analyse the data in the bar charts, using this information.
19M.2.SL.TZ2.5c:
Explain the action of enzymes in digestion and the different roles of at least two named enzymes that are produced in the pancreas.
16N.2.HL.TZ0.2a:
The image is an electron micrograph of the lining of the small intestine.

(i) Label the microvilli using the letter M and a nucleus using the letter N.

(ii) State the function of the goblet cell.

(iii) Deduce, with a reason, whether or not the goblet cell is likely to divide.
20N.2.HL.TZ0.6b:
Outline how proteins are digested and the products of protein digestion absorbed in humans.
21M.2.SL.TZ1.3a:
Outline the functions of the villi in the small intestine.
18M.2.SL.TZ2.1a.iii: Identify which organism requires the least feed to produce 1 kg of edible mass.
18M.2.SL.TZ2.5b:
Describe the processes involved in absorbing different nutrients across the cell membrane of villus epithelium cells lining the small intestine.
19M.1.SL.TZ1.25:
What are these structures?

[Source: Burgstedt | Dreamstime.com]

A. Fatty acids in the small intestine

B. Bacteria in the large intestine

C. Villi in the small intestine

D. Feces egested from the large intestine
19N.1.SL.TZ0.25: Which part of the body secretes amylase, lipase and endopeptidase for use in the digestion of...
19N.1.SL.TZ0.24:
The micrograph is of a longitudinal section through the small intestine. Which letter represents the circular muscle layer?

[Source: Henry Gray (1918) Anatomy of the Human Body]
17M.2.SL.TZ1.1c: Estimate how much smaller drilled oysters raised in seawater at a high CO2 concentration were...
17M.2.HL.TZ1.1f.ii: Suggest a reason for the greater expression of the gene for the urea transporter after an...
18M.1.SL.TZ1.24:
The photomicrograph drawing shows a longitudinal section of the small intestine.

[Source: Henry Gray (1918) Anatomy of the Human Body]

What is the function of the tissue layers labelled X and Y?

A. Secretion of digestive enzymes

B. Absorption of digested food

C. Transport of absorbed foods

D. Movement of food in the intestine
18M.2.SL.TZ2.1b.i:
Distinguish between the amino acid contents of yellow mealworms and cattle.
17M.1.HL.TZ1.23: Which organ in the human body secretes lipase, amylase and protease? A. Pancreas B. Liver C....
20N.1.SL.TZ0.24:
The photomicrograph shows a section through a human small intestine.

[Source: Chiodini RJ, Dowd SE, Chamberlin WM, Galandiuk S, Davis B,
Glassing A (2015) Microbial Population Differentials between Mucosal and Submucosal Intestinal Tissues in
Advanced Crohn’s Disease of the Ileum. PLoS ONE 10(7): e0134382. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0134382.]

Which statement corresponds to the labelled structures?

A. X moves food along the intestine.

B. Y is the mucosa.

C. Y contains lacteals.

D. Z causes peristalsis
21M.1.SL.TZ2.24: What is the name of the enzyme in the diagram? A. Amylase B. Maltase C. Glucosidase D....
21M.2.SL.TZ1.3b:
Explain the consequences of celiac disease for absorption of digested nutrients.
21M.2.SL.TZ1.3c:
Wheat, barley and rye all contain gluten. Outline how a protein such as gluten is digested.
21N.2.SL.TZ0.5c:
Explain the adaptations of the small intestine to its function.
22M.1.HL.TZ1.20:
Where in the digestive system are lipids broken down?

[Source: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health. The Digestive System
[online] Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/news/media-library/11172. Source adapted.]
22M.1.SL.TZ1.24: Which process describes starch metabolism in humans? A. Starch is digested by amylase in the...
18M.2.SL.TZ1.2b: Draw an annotated diagram to show how a peptide bond is formed.
18M.1.HL.TZ2.31:
The diagram shows the human digestive system. Where are lipids digested?

[Source: BruceBlaus/Wikimedia. File licensed under CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)]
18M.2.SL.TZ2.1e: Using all the relevant data in this question, discuss the use of insects as a major food source...

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DP Biology Questionbank

6.1 Digestion and absorption

Description

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