Ch. 23 The Digestive System

Marieb - Human Anatomy & Physiology 7th Edition

Marieb, Hoehn7th EditionHuman Anatomy & PhysiologyISBN: 9780805359091Not the one you use?Change textbook

Marieb, Hoehn 7th Edition

Ch. 23 The Digestive System

Problem 25

Chapter 22, Problem 25

Explain why fatty stools result from the absence of bile or pancreatic juice.

Verified step by step guidance

Understand the role of bile and pancreatic juice in digestion: Bile, produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder, emulsifies fats, breaking large fat globules into smaller droplets. Pancreatic juice contains lipase, an enzyme that breaks down these smaller fat droplets into fatty acids and glycerol for absorption.

Recognize that without bile, fat emulsification is impaired: Without bile, fats remain in large globules, which reduces the surface area available for pancreatic lipase to act upon, leading to inefficient fat digestion.

Consider the absence of pancreatic juice: Without pancreatic lipase, even emulsified fats cannot be broken down into absorbable molecules, so fats remain intact and cannot be absorbed by the intestinal lining.

Connect the impaired digestion and absorption to the presence of fat in stools: Since fats are not properly digested and absorbed, they remain in the intestinal lumen and are excreted in the feces, resulting in fatty stools (steatorrhea).

Summarize that fatty stools indicate malabsorption of fats due to the lack of bile and/or pancreatic enzymes, highlighting the importance of these secretions in normal fat digestion and absorption.

Verified video answer for a similar problem:

This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above.

Video duration:

Was this helpful?

Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Role of Bile in Fat Digestion

Bile, produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder, contains bile salts that emulsify fats, breaking large fat globules into smaller droplets. This process increases the surface area for pancreatic enzymes to act on, facilitating efficient fat digestion and absorption.

Function of Pancreatic Juice in Fat Digestion

Pancreatic juice contains lipase, an enzyme essential for breaking down triglycerides into fatty acids and glycerol. Without pancreatic lipase, fats cannot be properly digested, leading to their accumulation in the intestines and subsequent excretion in stools.

Cause of Fatty Stools (Steatorrhea)

Fatty stools, or steatorrhea, occur when fats are not digested or absorbed due to the absence of bile or pancreatic enzymes. Undigested fats remain in the intestine, increasing stool fat content, making stools bulky, pale, and foul-smelling.

Recommended video:

11:34

Fatty Acid Oxidation 1

Related Practice

Textbook Question

Describe the regulation of the cephalic, gastric, and intestinal phases of gastric secretion.

views

Textbook Question

After a heavy meal rich with fried foods, Debby Collins, an overweight 45-year-old woman, was rushed to the emergency room with severe spasmodic pains in her epigastric region that radiated to the right side of her rib cage. She indicated that the attack came on suddenly, and her abdomen was found to be tender to the touch and somewhat rigid. What do you think is this patient's problem and why is her pain discontinuous (colicky)? What are the treatment options and what might happen if the problem is not resolved?

views

Textbook Question

Describe the role of these cells found in gastric glands: parietal, chief, mucous neck, and enteroendocrine.

views

Textbook Question

a. What is the relationship between the cystic, common hepatic, bile, and pancreatic ducts?

b. What is the point of fusion of the bile and pancreatic ducts called?

views

Textbook Question

Explain why activation of pancreatic enzymes is delayed until they reach the small intestine.

views

Textbook Question

Indicate the function of the stellate macrophages and the hepatocytes of the liver.

views