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Article: Digestion
- Article from:
- Animal Sciences
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Digestion
Digestion is the process of breaking down food into molecules that cells can absorb. Carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, and fats are broken down into their smallest units (monomers) by digestive enzymes. These hydrolytic enzymes break chemical bonds through a reaction that requires water. Each hydrolytic enzyme is named after the substances it hydrolyzes. For example, carbohydrases break carbohydrates into single sugars (monosaccharides), proteases break proteins into amino acids, nucleases break nucleic acids into nucleotides, and lipases hydrolyze fats to fatty acids.
The Digestive System
The digestive system of humans consists of a one-way digestive tract with several ...