Digestion

Section A: Multiple-Choice Questions

1. The process of digestion begins when we start chewing food in our mouth. Which of the
following statements is incorrect regarding digestion in our mouth?
A.
B.
C.
D.

Our teeth help to break the food apart.

Saliva aids in digestion by helping to soften food so that it can be easily swallowed.
Salivary amylase in the saliva assists in breaking down starch into maltose.
The taste buds on our tongue help to break down food into smaller pieces.

2. The human throat is divided into two separate tubes which are the oesophagus and the
trachea. What prevents food from entering the trachea as it passes down the oesophagus?
A.
B.
C.
D.

The tongue
The larynx
The epiglottis
The glottis

3. All of the following are organs of the digestive system except:

A.
B.
C.
D.

Liver
Oesophagus
Small Intestine
Trachea

4. The emulsification of fats are carried out by:

A.
B.
C.
D.

Gastric Juices
Bile Salts
Intestinal Juices
Pancreatic Juices

5. Which of the following organs produces bile?

A.
B.
C.
D.

Gall Bladder
Liver
Pancreas
Bile Duct

6. The fats in food we consume are digested into __________ and ________.
A.
B.
C.
D.

Amino acids, Polypeptides

Glucose, Fructose
Fatty acids, Glycerol
Fatty acids, Lipase

7. The following table consists of various food samples being tested and their results. What
could these foods be?

Type of Test/Food
Sample
Food W
Food X

Biurets Test

Benedicts Test

Blue Solution
Violet Solution

Brick-Red Precipitate
Blue Solution

Food Y

Blue Solution

Blue Solution

Food Z

Violet Solution

Blue Solution

Food
Sample/Option
s
A
B
C
D

Ethanol Emulsion
Test
Clear Solution
Cloudy White
Solution
Cloudy White
Solution
Clear Solution

Food W

Food X

Food Y

Food Z

Orange juice
Salmon
Coconut Oil
Egg White

Salmon
Orange Juice
Orange Juice
Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil
Egg White
Salmon
Orange Juice

Egg White
Coconut Oil
Egg White
Salmon

8. Digestion occurs through the alimentary canal that consists of various organs. Food travels
through these organs in which correct order?
A. mouth oesophagus small intestine stomach large intestine rectum anus
B. mouth small intestine oesophagus stomach large intestine rectum anus
C. mouth oesophagus stomach small intestine large intestine rectum anus
D. mouth oesophagus stomach small intestine large intestine anus rectum
9. Study the diagram below.

Which of the following option is correct about the start and end points of digestion?

Option
A
B
C
D

Digestion Starts At:

B
A
A
A

Digestions Ends At:

C
D
C
B

10. Which term below correctly describes the rhythmic, wave-like muscular contractions in
that enables food to be pushed along the gastrointestinal tract and also allows for food to be
mixed with digestive juices?
A.
B.
C.
D.

Peristalsis
Cramping
Swallowing
Churning

11. Beginning with the front, the 3 segments that form the small intestines are:
A.
B.
C.
D.

ileum, duodenum and jejunum

duodenum, jejunum, caecum
duodenum, jejunum, ileum
jejunum, ileum, caecum

12. The following diagram shows various food items.

Which nutrient are all these food items lacking in?

A.
B.
C.
D.

Protein
Carbohydrates
Fats
Vitamins

13. The diagram below shows 50 g of potato wedges in various particle sizes. Which particle
size would allow for salivary amylase to work best when the potato wedges are being
chewed?

14. Which colour change would occur when a few drops of iodine solution is placed on a
piece of grilled fish?
A.
B.
C.
D.

Yellow to black
Remains yellow
Yellow to colourless
Yellow to blue

15. Which enzymes are correctly matched to their source?

Option
A
B
C
D

Enzyme:
Pepsin
Pancreatic Amylase
Bile Salts
Salivary Amylase

Source:
Pancreas
Salivary Glands
Liver
Salivary Glands

16. The following diagrams shows mixtures containing various amounts of the enzyme
pepsin, hydrochloric acid and egg white at different temperatures. Which mixture would have
the highest rate of protein digestion?

17. Choose the option that correctly matches the digestion of cheese by the human alimentary
canal to its respective digestive enzyme and end product.
A. Cheese

pepsin
peptidases

Amino Acids

B. Cheese

Amino Acids

C. Cheese

Salivary
amylase

Maltose

D. Cheese

Pancreatic
amylase

Maltose

18. The diagram below shows the small intestine and large intestine. At which part does
absorption of water occur?

19. The optimum pH value for pepsin is:

A.
B.
C.
D.

5.5
7.4
4.1
1.6

20. In the diagram below, at which parts P, Q, R, T or S are digestive enzymes produced?

A. R and T
B. P and S
C. S and T
D. P and Q
Section B: Short Answer Questions
1. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the word list given below. Each word
can only be used once.
Digestion

Taste buds

Amylase

Chyme

Absorption

Maltose

Oesophagus

Proteases

Bolus

Peristalsis

Hydrochloric Acid

Lipase

a. The two main functions of the digestive system are ______________ and ____________.
b. One of the major functions of saliva is to mix and shape food to form a mass known as
_____________.
c. On both sides of our tongue, there are ______________ then enables us to taste our food.
d. The chemical breakdown of starch results in a disaccharide known as _______________.

e. The series of wavelike contractions that help propel food towards the stomach is known as
___________________.
f. An enzyme produced by the salivary glands that assists in the breakdown of starch is
known as ________________.
g. Food enters into the stomach from the mouth, via the pharynx through a tube known as the
____________________.
h. The acidic environment of the stomach is mainly due to the presence of
______________________.
i. In the stomach, food is converted to a liquefied form known as __________, which enters
the duodenum in small amounts.
j. The enzyme pepsin belongs to a class of enzymes known as ____________.
k. The pancreatic enzyme involved in digesting fats is known as ____________.

2. Study the diagram below and answer the following questions.

a. (i) Name the parts that produce digestive enzymes.

___________________________________________________________________________

(ii) State the name of the parts mentioned in (i) respectively.

___________________________________________________________________________
(iii) Provide an example of a digestive enzyme that is produced in the parts mentioned in
(i) respectively.
___________________________________________________________________________
b. (i) Name the part G.
___________________________________________________________________________
(ii) Describe the function of G.
___________________________________________________________________________
c. (i) Name the part that produces bile.
___________________________________________________________________________
(ii) State one reason why bile cannot be considered an enzyme.
___________________________________________________________________________
3. Study the diagram below and answer the following questions.

a. Provide the correct terms for the following letters:

A
B
C
P
Q
R
S
b. Describe why digestion must occur to produce the end products P, Q, R and S?
___________________________________________________________________________
4. Study the diagram below and answer the following questions.

4a. (i) What are the names of parts A, D and C.

___________________________________________________________________________
(ii) Describe a function of part A.
___________________________________________________________________________
4b. (i) Where can part A be found?
___________________________________________________________________________
(ii) Describe the function of C.
___________________________________________________________________________

4c*. What is the name of Part B?

___________________________________________________________________________
5a*. Describe in detail, a simple test that a student can carry out to discover if a food sample
does indeed contain protein.
___________________________________________________________________________
5b. State what would be seen if protein was present.
___________________________________________________________________________
5c. Name some foods that will produce the result in part b.
___________________________________________________________________________
6*. While holidaying overseas, Amy and Brenda went out for dinner at a restaurant. However
the restaurant staff could not speak English well and thus could not answer Brendas question
if the food served is vegetarian.
a. (i) Name a simple test the girls can use to determine if a food may be vegetarian.
__________________________________________________________________________
(ii) Describe the test mentioned in (i) and why it can be of use to determine if a food maybe
vegetarian.
___________________________________________________________________________
b. (i) The table below shows 4 tests which apply can be conducted on food substances to
indicate their presence or absence.
Complete the table below to show which of these tests apply to the food substance by filling
in a () to show the test can detect the presence of that food substance or (X) if the test does
not indicate the presence of that food substance. The first one has been done for you as an
example.
Food
Substances
Lipid
Protein
Starch
Reducing
Sugars
Non-Reducing
Sugars

Biurets Test
X

Tests
Iodine Test
Benedicts Test
X

Ethanol
Emulsion Test

6b. (ii*) John told his dad that saliva contains the enzyme, salivary amylase. However his dad
did not believe him. Describe a test John can use to prove to his father that human saliva does
indeed contain salivary amylase.
___________________________________________________________________________
Section C: Free Response Questions
1ai. Describe the difference between ingestion and digestion.
1aii*. Describe how digestion would be impacted in the small intestine bile was absent.
1bi. Describe the structure of the small intestine
1bii*Describe what how absorption of nutrients would be affected if food moved through the
small intestine at a faster rate?
1biii* Name an actual scenario where food actually moves faster through the small intestines.
1ci. Describe the role of enzymes in the digestion of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids in
humans.
1cii*. Swallowing is a complex process with the risk that food may enter the respiratory
pathway. This may cause choking. Describe using your knowledge of the pharynx how
choking is minimised during swallowing.
2. During a hockey game, the puck accidentally hit Thomas in the face and knocked out
approximately 75% of his incisors. Incisors are narrow-edged teeth at the front of the mouth,
adapted for cutting. In humans there are four incisors in each jaw.
(a) How many incisor teeth did Thomas lose?
(b) How will this impact the ingestion of food when Thomas eats?
(c*) What foods should Thomas consume in the time-being until the incisors are replaced that
would keep him healthy?