Answer Key - Digestion

Section A: Multiple Choice Questions

1. D
Explanation: Taste buds contain the receptors for taste as the tongue is the organ for taste.
Taste buds on the tongue allow for us to taste foods that are salty, sweet, bitter or sour.
However taste buds do not in any way, help in the digestion process.
2. C
Explanation: The epiglottis is a flap-like piece of tissue that covers the trachea to prevent
food from going down the trachea. The trachea is a tube that contains the larynx or voice box
and the glottis. The glottis is small opening that leads to the larynx. During swallowing, the
epiglottis moves downwards to cover the glottis so that no food would enter the trachea.
3. D
Explanation: The trachea or windpipe is an organ that is part of the respiratory system. The
trachea branches out for form the bronchi. An organ is a collection of tissues joined together
to carry out a function.
4. B
Explanation: Bile salts are contains no enzymes. Instead these salts physically break down
or emulsify large fat droplets into smaller fat droplets so as to increase action of lipase on
fats.
5. B
Explanation: Bile is produced by the liver via the liver cells. However bile is temporarily
stored in the gall bladder. During digestion, bile flows into the duodenum through the bile
duct.
6. C
Explanation: Lipase from pancreatic juices and lipase produced by epithelial cells aids in
chemically breaking down smaller fat molecules that had previously been acted upon by bile
salts; to form fatty acids and glycerol.
7. A
Explanation: A violet coloured Biurets solution is indicative of proteins. A brick red
precipitate for Benedicts test shows a large amount of reducing sugars present. When an
ethanol emulsion test produces a cloudy white solution means fats are present. Orange juice
contains virtually no fat and protein. Salmon does not contain any carbohydrates. Coconut oil
does not contain carbohydrates and proteins, instead it has high amounts of unsaturated fats.
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Egg whites are known to contain the highest amount of proteins and have virtually no fats
and carbohydrates.
8. C
Explanation: Digestion begins in the mouth, passes via the oesophagus to enter the stomach,
then small intestine. Digestion ends in the small intestine. The large intestine absorbs water
and mineral salts from the undigested food materials. Undigested and unabsorbed matter is
stored temporarily as faeces before the faeces is excreted via the anus.
9. C
Explanation: Digestion begins in A, the mouth and ends at C, the small intestine.
10. A
Explanation: Peristalsis enables food to be mixed with digestive juices and also pushes or
propels the food along the alimentary canal.
11. C
Explanation: The small intestine begins with the U-shaped duodenum just below the
pancreas, followed by the jejunum and lastly the ileum that connects the small intestine to the
caecum of the large intestine.
12. D
Explanation: Most of the food items shown are examples of unbalanced diets and are mostly
processed foods that are lacking in vitamins but high in sugars and fats.
13. D
Explanation: Smaller particles of the potato wedges allows for increased surface area for
salivary amylase to act on the identical 50 g portions of potato wedges.
14. B
Explanation: Grilled fish contains no carbohydrates, let alone starch. Starch are found in
foods derived from plant sources. Starch can be detected through the iodine test. A few drops
of iodine solution when added to any substance containing starch will produce a blue-black
colour. In absence of starch, the iodine solution would remain yellow.
15. D
Explanation: Salivary amylase is produced by the salivary glands. Lipase is produced by the
pancreas and epithelial cells of the small intestine. Pancreatic amylase as the name suggests,
is produced by the pancreas. Bile salts are not enzymes, however they are produced by the
liver.
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16. C
Explanation: The optimum temperature of pepsin is between 30C to 37C, in an acidic
medium. At temperatures below 30C, the enzyme would be inactivated. At temperatures
above 37C, the pepsin would be denatured.
17. B
Explanation: Peptidases would act on the polypeptides present in cheese to convert them
into amino acids. Whereas pepsin acts on proteins to convert them into polypeptides. Cheese
does not contain starch so the actions of salivary amylase and pancreatic amylase are
unnecessary.
18. A
Explanation: Option A is the colon. One of the main functions of the colon is to absorb
water. B is the jejunum. C is the rectum and D is the appendix.
19. D
Explanation: Pepsin works best at very low pH, typically between pH values of 1.5-2.
20. A
Explanation: Parts P, R and T produce digestive enzymes which are the mouth, stomach and
small intestine respectively. Part Q is the oesophagus while Part S is the large intestine and no
digestion occurs in these two parts.
Section B: Short Answer Questions
1. Ensure spelling of words are correct before full marks can be awarded.
a. Digestion, Absorption
b. Bolus
c. Taste buds
d. Maltose
e. Peristalsis
f. Amylase
g. Oesophagus
h. Hydrochloric Acid
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i. Chyme
j. Proteases
k. Lipase
2ai. A, D, E and F.
2aii. They are the salivary glands, stomach, pancreas and small intestine.
2aiii. Accept any of the following answers:
Part A (Salivary glands) Salivary amylase
Part D (Stomach) Pepsin, Rennin, gastric lipase
Part E (Pancreas) Trypsin, Amylase, Lipase
Part F (Small Intestine) Sucrase, Lactase, Maltase, Lipase, Peptidases
2bi. Part G is the colon.
2bii. Its function is to absorb water and mineral salts from undigested food materials.
2ci. Part C.
2cii. Accept any of the following answers:
-

Bile participates in the physical breakdown of fats hence no new products are made
thus it cannot be considered an enzyme. An enzymatic reaction usually leads to
formation of new products.
Bile is not a protein however enzymes are.

3a.
A
B
C
P
Q
R
S

Starch
Peptidase (Pepsin not accepted)
Lipase
Maltose (Disaccharide not accepted)
Amino Acids
Glycerol
Fatty Acids

3b. The human body cannot absorb large food molecules. The purpose of digestion is to break
down these large food molecules through enzymatic action to form smaller food molecules
which can be absorbed by our bloodstream and sent to cells that require these substances.
4ai. Villi, epithelial cells of a villus and lacteal (or lymphatic capillary) respectively. [Villus
not accepted as it is singular form)
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4aii. The villi are finger-like projections that help to increase the surface area of the small
intestine for absorption.
4bi. The small intestine.
4bii. The lymphatic capillary or lacteal of the villi transport fats away from the intestine.
4c. Microvilli
5a. The test to be done is Biuret test. The biuret test solution is a blue solution made up of
sodium hydroxide and copper (II) sulphate. The procedure to carry out the test is as follows:
(1) Add the food sample to 2 cm3 (any volume between 2 to 10cm3 is acceptable) of biuret test
solution and shake it thoroughly.
(2) Shake well and allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes.
(3) Observe if any colour changes occur.
5b. The biuret solution would change from blue to violet within 5 minutes.
5c. Salmon, egg white, chicken, any other proteinaceous foods.
6ai. Iodine test.
6aii. Starch can be detected using the iodine test. If starch is present in a food, it will turn the
iodine from yellow to a blue-black colour. Starch can only be produced by plants, hence the
presence of starch is a good indicator that the food maybe suitable for vegetarians.
6bi.
Food
Substances
Lipid
Protein
Starch
Reducing
Sugars
Non-Reducing
Sugars

Biurets Test

Tests
Iodine Test
Benedicts Test

X
X

X
X

X
X
X

Ethanol
Emulsion Test

X
X
X

6bii)
Starch is not a reducing sugar however maltose is. Hence John can obtain equal amounts of a
purely starchy food like rice (any similar food options like tapioca starch powder are
acceptable). For one portion of rice, he can chew it and spit it out to allow salivary amylase to
act on it. The other portion of rice remains undisturbed. He will then carry out Benedicts test
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to these rice samples. Only the chewed sample will show a change in colour of the Benedicts
test from blue to form a brick-red precipitate. Benedicts test can only act upon reducing
sugars whilst salivary amylase acts upon starch to convert it to maltose.
Section C: Free Response Questions
1ai. Ingestion is simply the process of bringing food into the body by eating or drinking it and
moving it from the mouth down the oesophagus, by peristalsis, into the stomach. Digestion is
the process of physically breaking the food down into smaller pieces and chemically breaking
bonds by utilizing digestive enzymes in a form that can be absorbed by cells of the small
intestine into the bloodstream; as nutrients that can be utilised by cells in our body.
1aii. Accept any one of the answers below or other possible answers.
One of the functions of bile is to neutralize the acidic chyme entering the small intestine from
the stomach. Digestive enzymes in pancreatic juice and intestinal juice are designed to
function in an environment that has been neutralized by bile. If bile does not enter the small
intestine the pH will stay low and the pancreatic enzymes will possibly be denatured, and the
enzyme will no longer be able to chemically break down food.
Furthermore, the absence of bile may lead to elevated amounts of sugar in the blood, this is
because the enzymes sucrose, lactase and maltase will be inactivated due to the low pH.
These enzymes would be unable to chemically breakdown sucrose, lactose and maltose into
glucose.
Additionally, bile contains chemicals that act as a emulsifier to physically break down fats
down into smaller droplets so that lipase can act on these fat droplets more effectively. If bile
was absent, fat digestion would be drastically slowed down.
1bi.The small intestine consists of three segments, beginning with the duodenum, jejunum
and ending with the ileum. The length of the small intestine is approximately 6 metres long.
The lining of the small intestine consists of glands which secrete digestive enzymes. The
small intestine is also adapted to absorb digested food products and water. In addition, the
walls have smaller finger-like projections called villi, which further increase the surface area
for absorption. The cells lining the villi themselves have microscopic finger-like projections
called microvilli that also serve to increase the surface area for absorption so that food
passing by the microvilli can be more effectively absorbed into the bloodstream.
1bii. If food moves through the small intestine at a faster rate than normal, fewer nutrients
will be absorbed since they will be in contact with the small intestine wall for a shorter period
of time.
1biii. When a person has diarrhoea due to food poisoning or other possible causes.
1ci. The enzymes protease/trypsin/pepsin/ or other named protease digest proteins into
polypeptides/ dipeptides/ amino acids. Lipase digest lipids into glycerol and fatty acids.
Salivary and pancreatic amylase digests starch into maltose. Sucrose is broken down by
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action of sucrose to form glucose and fructose. Lactose is broken down by lactase to form
glucose and galactose. While maltose is broken down by maltase to form 2 molecules of
glucose.
1cii. The pharynx branches out into two tubes known as the larynx and the oesophagus.
Further down the larynx is the trachea or windpipe that enables us to take in oxygen into our
lungs. The oesophagus transports food into the stomach. A piece of flap-like tissue called the
epiglottis is found just after the pharynx and usually prevents food from entering the larynx
and obstructing the trachea. Hence the epiglottis is essential in preventing choking when we
swallow.
2a. There are 4 incisors in each jaw. Since we have 2 jaws, there would be a total of 8
incisors. Therefore, with simple math, 75% of 8 incisors would be 0.75 x 8 = 6 incisors lost.
2b. Since incisors are used for tearing off and cutting pieces of food during ingestion, Thomas
will need to cut his foods into bite-sized pieces or even smaller before ingesting them until
the broken incisors are replaced.
2c. Thomas can consume protein shakes to ensure he has optimum protein needed for growth
and maintenance of bodily functions. This is because he is unable to consume meat and fish
which are major sources of proteins. He could also consume health supplements in capsule
form to ensure he has all the required vitamins and minerals that he may have missed out
since he is unable to consume food that requires alot of chewing.

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