Digestion Lab. The specific purpose of this lab (activity 4) was to investigate fat digestion by pancreatic lipase and the action of bile, and to recognize whether fat digestion is ongoing or completed (2).

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May 13, 2009

Digestive System

Activity-4: Assessing Fat Digestion by Pancreatic Lipase

and the Action of Bile

Objective:

The human digestive system is a complex combination of mechanical and chemical processes of digestion. It consists primarily of the gastrointestinal tract, a series of organs and glands that help break down food into smaller molecules for the body to absorb and use for energy. There are six essential activities in the digestion process: ingestion, propulsion, mechanical digestion, chemical digestion, absorption, and defecation. During chemical digestion, enzymes (large protein molecules) and digestive enzymes (hydrolytic) take actions in the catabolic breakdown of food, generally begin in the mouth and conclude within the small intestine. Because digestive enzymes are highly specific and require precise environment conditions for enzyme to function optimally, their hydrolytic activity can also be studied in a test tube. The specific purpose of this lab (activity 4) was to investigate fat digestion by pancreatic lipase and the action of bile, and to recognize whether fat digestion is ongoing or completed (2).

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Methods:

        The experiment was carried out by placing 6 test tubes, labeled 1 to 6, on the test tube holders in the incubation unit. Each test tube holds different solutions: test tube 1 contains lipase, vegetable oil, bile salts, and pH 7.0 buffer; test tube 2 contains lipase, vegetable oil, deionized water, and pH 7.0 buffer; test tube 3 contains lipase, deionized water, bile salts, and pH 9.0 buffer; test tube 4 contains deionized water, vegetable oil, bile salts, and pH 7.0 buffer; test tube 5 contains lipase, vegetable oil, bile salts, and pH 2.0 buffer; test tube 6 ...

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