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Multiple Choice
Where does protein digestion begin in the human digestive system?
A
Stomach
B
Small intestine
C
Mouth
D
Esophagus
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the role of enzymes in protein digestion. Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up the digestion process by breaking down complex molecules like proteins into simpler forms.
Identify the primary enzyme responsible for protein digestion in the stomach. Pepsin is the enzyme that initiates protein digestion in the stomach, activated by the acidic environment.
Recognize the role of hydrochloric acid (HCl) in the stomach. HCl creates an acidic environment, which is necessary for pepsin to function effectively in breaking down proteins.
Consider the anatomical structure of the stomach. The stomach is a muscular organ that churns food, mixing it with gastric juices, including pepsin and HCl, to begin the digestion of proteins.
Note that while the stomach initiates protein digestion, the process continues in the small intestine where other enzymes further break down proteins into amino acids.