This key facts covers Bile: The Enzyme Helper within Enzymes in Digestion for GCSE Biology. Enzyme structure and function, digestive enzymes, factors affecting enzyme activity, lock and key model, and practical investigations It is section 7 of 19 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 7 of 19
Practice
20 questions
Recall
25 flashcards
Bile: The Enzyme Helper
Bile is not an enzyme, but it's crucial for fat digestion:
- Produced by: Liver
- Stored in: Gall bladder
- Released into: Small intestine (duodenum)
- Function 1: Emulsifies fats (breaks large fat droplets into smaller ones)
- Function 2: Neutralizes stomach acid (creates alkaline conditions for pancreatic enzymes)
- Why emulsification helps: Increases surface area for lipase to work on
- pH change: From acidic (stomach pH 2) to alkaline (small intestine pH 8.5)