The Bile Salts

Question

The bile salts
A)are enzymes.
B)are manufactured by the pancreas.
C)emulsify fats in the duodenum.
D)increase the efficiency of pepsin action.
E)are normally an ingredient of gastric juice.

Accepted Answer

Bile salts are produced in the liver and then stored in the gallbladder. They are released into the duodenum to emulsify fats, which means they break up large fat globules into smaller droplets, increasing the surface area available for enzymes to digest them. Bile salts are not enzymes themselves, and they are not manufactured by the pancreas or an ingredient of gastric juice. They do not affect pepsin action, which is an enzyme involved in protein digestion in the stomach.