After I wash up the frying pan that I used to cook fried eggs and mushrooms, I n

Question

After I wash up the frying pan that I used to cook fried eggs and mushrooms, I notice large globules of fat floating on the water. If I stir up the water vigorously, they disappear, but they re-form a few seconds later. However, if I add a drop of detergent, the droplets break down very quickly and do not visibly return. Clearly, fat does not mix with water, unless a detergentlike substance is present. Something similar must happen in the watery environment of my duodenum when I try to digest the fat in my dinner.

a) Explain why fat does not mix with water and why this is a problem for digestion of lipids.

b) Explain how large fat globules are broken down into much smaller droplets in the small intestine. Specifically, describe the type of secretion involved in this process, how its release is controlled and how the key substances in the secretion work at the molecular level to stop the fat from re-combining back into large globules. Do NOT include how the digestion of fats occurs, what digestion products are formed or how they are absorbed into the body. You will get no marks for this.

c) Lipases are the enzymes that break down triglyceride fats in the small intestine. Lipase inhibitors are drugs that bind to lipases and reduce their activity. Lipase inhibitors reduce digestion and absorption of fats, but often have nasty side effects of bloating, flatus and increased urge to defaecate. From your knowledge of gut function, explain how these symptoms may be caused by lipase inhibitors.

Explanation / Answer

a) water is a polar compound,the molecules of water bears a polar charge due to electrons present in oxygen and hydrogen.

This makes water molecule charged and hence one water molecule is attracted towards another,hence it is bound by hydrogen bonds.

Also water is in low energy state and quite stable.

Wheres oil or fats are nonpolar compounds,they donot bear any charges and hemce not attracted towards water due to absence of electrons in their orbit.

B) bile is the secretiom released in small intestine for the digestion of fat.It is synthesized in gall bladder and helps in the breakdown of fat in watery environment of duodenum.

Bile has affinity for both hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds present in it.

Pancreatic lipases and lecithin makes digestion of fat possible.

The process is called as emulsification.

C) lipase inhibitors are the drugs which binds to the enzyme pancreatic lipase and ihibits its activity.This results into incomplete absorption and digestion of fat,delayed stomach emptying.

There occurs a production of endogenous gases ,due to this delayed stomach emptying and incomplete digestion of fats,which causes flatulence.this faltulence results into bloating and pain.

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