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Protein digestion |
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Meat is a natural form of protein. Protein digestion starts in the stomach with the enzyme pepsin. Pepsin catalysis the hydrolysis of peptide bonds to reduce large proteins to intermediate sized polypeptides. Digestion of proteins continues in the small intestine with enzymes(trypsin and chymotrypsin) from the pancreas that reduce polypeptides into dipeptides. Further hydrolysis by carboxypeptidase (from the pancreas) produces free amino acids. | |
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Amino acids
absorbed through the intestinal wall are used as building blocks to manufacture
new proteins that the body needs. Any amino acid that is not needed for
protein synthesis is converted into urea (pictured on the right)
and dissolved in the urine. Proteins are not stored in the body, they
are used immediately or removed from the body through the urine. |
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