📖 Notes
LESSON 10 OF 16
Digestive System — Gut to Cells
From Mouth to Absorption
Every enzyme in digestion has one job and one location. Matching enzyme to substrate to product is exactly what MDCAT digestive questions test.
Pathway
Mouth → ... → Anus
1
Mouth
Amylase begins breaking down starch into maltose.
2
Stomach
Gastric juice (HCl + pepsinogen) creates pH 2; pepsin breaks proteins into peptides.
3
Small Intestine (ileum)
Villi and microvilli create a huge surface area; glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids are absorbed.
4
Large Intestine
Water reabsorption and gut bacteria activity.
Enzyme → Substrate → Product
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Exam tip
MDCAT often gives an enzyme name and asks for its substrate/product, or vice versa — memorising the four enzyme rows above as complete triples (not isolated facts) covers the majority of these questions.