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Why is amylase concentration lower in the digesta than the small intestine?

Hi all :smile:
I'm a bit stuck as to why the amylase concentration of the digesta of a chicken gut is lower than that of the small intestine and also why the pancreas has the highest?
I'm assuming the pancreas is linked to the fact amylase biosynthesis happens here.
But why is the digesta lower than the gut is it to do with absorption?
Thanks :smile:
xxx:confused:
Reply 1
Original post by faith16120
Hi all :smile:
I'm a bit stuck as to why the amylase concentration of the digesta of a chicken gut is lower than that of the small intestine and also why the pancreas has the highest?
I'm assuming the pancreas is linked to the fact amylase biosynthesis happens here.
But why is the digesta lower than the gut is it to do with absorption?
Thanks :smile:
xxx:confused:


Hi. I'm afraid I don't familiarise with chicken biology, so I don't know what digesta is.

But I suggest the difference because amylase is an enzyme with an optimum acidic pH. The pancreas and stomach are acidic environments, hence the acidity of chyme. The intestines are more alkaline/less acidic, the bile neutralises the chime. So amylase will be inefficient here, as the different pH would alter the protein structure, denaturing it and making it effectively useless.

:smile:
Reply 2
Original post by ash92:)
So amylase will be inefficient here, as the different pH would alter the protein structure, denaturing it and making it effectively useless.

:smile:


Stomach acid denatures amylase, but the neutral small intestine really wouldn't. It might be the case that activity is lower there compared to a mildly acidic environment, but the concentration wouldn't be affected markedly. In humans at least.

I also don't know what digesta is though, which prevents any attempt to answer the question!
Reply 3
Original post by nexttime
Stomach acid denatures amylase, but the neutral small intestine really wouldn't. It might be the case that activity is lower there compared to a mildly acidic environment, but the concentration wouldn't be affected markedly. In humans at least.

I also don't know what digesta is though, which prevents any attempt to answer the question!


Digesta as it has been explained to us is the content of the intestine.
Thanks!
Reply 4
Original post by faith16120
Digesta as it has been explained to us is the content of the intestine.
Thanks!


So your question was why the content of the small intestine [digesta] has a lower concentration than ... the content of the small intestine? I'm very confused!
Reply 5
Original post by nexttime
So your question was why the content of the small intestine [digesta] has a lower concentration than ... the content of the small intestine? I'm very confused!


Sort of yes. I think the basic answer for OP is that amylase wouldn't work well enough in the digesta.


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
Reply 6
Original post by ash92:)
Sort of yes. I think the basic answer for OP is that amylase wouldn't work well enough in the digesta.


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App


As opposed to where?
Reply 7
Original post by nexttime
As opposed to where?


Ah, it seems I didn't read the OP properly. For some reason I assumed it was a comparison between the supra-gastric GIT versus that below it.

My bad.
Reply 8
Its a comparison of the intestinal wall against that of the content found (and squeezed) within it. Thanks~!
Reply 9
whats a digesta? :K:
Reply 10
the di-what-sta?
Sounds like a tough question for all us out there who don't study veterinary medicine. What first comes to mind is that the concentration would alter because there is a difference of abundance of substrate. But given both places are in the small intestine I can't say I know anything about where starch prefers to build up. Perhaps the concentration of amylase is to do with the main site of synthesis? All I can do is throw some idea's out there :dontknow:

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