Describe the process of protein digestion in humans

Answer 1

Below is a summary of protein digestion and absorption:

1 . In the mouth, chewing crushes and softens protein-rich foods and mixes them with saliva.
2 . Stomach acid works to uncoil (denature) protein strands and activate stomach enzymes. The enzyme pepsin breaks the protein strands into dipeptides, tripeptides, and polypeptides. A mucous coating on the stomach wall protects the stomach's own proteins from both the harsh stomach acid and the protein-digesting enzymes.
3 . In the small intestine, the fragments of protein are split into free amino acids, dipeptides, and tripeptides with the help of enzymes from the pancreas and small intestine. Enzymes on the surface of the small intestinal cells break these peptides into amino acids, and they are absorbed through the microvilli of the small intestine into the blood.
4 . The large intestine carries any undigested protein residue out of the body. Normally, practically all the protein is digested and absorbed.