What is the Digestion System?
What Is Digestion? Digestion is the complex process of turning the food you eat into nutrients, which the body uses for energy, growth and cell repair needed to survive. The digestion process also involves creating waste to be eliminated.
The digestive tract is a long twisted tube that starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. It is made up of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food and other cells that produce enzymes and hormones to aid in the breakdown of food.
The digestive tract is a long twisted tube that starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. It is made up of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food and other cells that produce enzymes and hormones to aid in the breakdown of food.
Basic Enzyme Function
The substrate binds to the enzyme at the active site. Since enzymes are proteins, this site is composed of a unique combination of amino acid residues (R groups). Each amino acid can be large or small; weakly acidic or basic; hydrophilic or hydrophobic. The positions, sequences, structures, and properties of these residues create a specific chemical environment within the active site. A specific chemical substrate matches this site like a jigsaw puzzle piece and makes the enzyme specific to its substrate.
The substrate binds to the enzyme at the active site. Since enzymes are proteins, this site is composed of a unique combination of amino acid residues (R groups). Each amino acid can be large or small; weakly acidic or basic; hydrophilic or hydrophobic. The positions, sequences, structures, and properties of these residues create a specific chemical environment within the active site. A specific chemical substrate matches this site like a jigsaw puzzle piece and makes the enzyme specific to its substrate.