Question 33

[asaidi@uci.edu]

The gold standard 9.4.2 states that the pancreatic duct empties into the common bile duct, therefore this obstruction should also affect the functions of the pancreas to break down protein, fat, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates

[mcat_premed3832]

Carbohydrates are broken down into subunits by amylase which is produced in 2 locations: salivary glands and the pancreatic gland. Bile which emulsifies fat is only produced in the liver. Thus even though the bile duct is blocked, amylase is still functional in the GI tract, pepsin (produced from pepsinogen in the stomach; BIO 9.3) is still active to break down proteins, etc.

Going a little further that you need to go: though bile only comes from one place, enzymes for carbohydrates come from 3 places: salivary glands (found in 1-2 liters of saliva/day), the pancreas and the lining of the small intestine which also produces enzymes to break down most major macromolecules.