NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 16 : Digestion and Absorption
NCERT Solutions for Biology for Chapter 16 Digestion and Absorption Class 11 explains every detail and all the topic of the chapter in-depth. Moreover, the solutions are in simple language and contain all the relevant study material. Also, due to easy language students can easily understand the meaning of each keyword without any difficulty. For a clearer and better understanding of the chapter refer to NCERT Solutions.
These Digestion and Absorption Class 11 Notes for Biology for Chapter 16 will help you in your exam preparation. Moreover, the study material is prepared by our team of professionals will guide you in it. As a result, it will increase your knowledge and learning abilities. Digestion refers to the conversion of complex food in a simpler form so that the body can absorb it to produce energy from it. While absorption refers to the process of absorbing required minerals from the food into the bloodstream.
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Access NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 16 : Digestion and Absorption
- Gastric juice contains pepsin, lipase, and rennin. Pepsin is secreted in an inactive form as pepsinogen, which is activated by HCl. Pepsin digests proteins into peptones. Lipase breaks down fats into fatty acids. Rennin is a photolytic enzyme present in the gastric juice. It helps in the coagulation of milk.
- Intestinal juice :
| Column I | Column II |
| (a) Bilirubin and biliverdin | (i) Parotid |
| (b) Hydrolysis of starch | (ii) Bile |
| (c) Digestion of fat | (iii) Lipases |
| (d) Salivary gland | (iv) Amylases |
The enzyme trypsin (present in the pancreatic juice) activates the inactive enzyme chymotrypsinogen into chymotrypsin.
Chymotrypsinogen 
Chymotrypsin
(Inactive) (Active)
The activated chymotrypsin plays an important role in the further breakdown of the partially-hydrolysed proteins.
Proteins
Peptides
The other digestive enzymes of the same category are trypsinogen and carboxypeptidase. These are secreted by the same source-gland, pancreas.
Trypsinogen is present in an inactive form in the pancreatic juice. The enzyme enterokinase – secreted by the intestinal mucosa – activates trypsinogen into trypsin.
Trypsinogen
Trypsin + Inactive peptide
The activated trypsin then further hydrolyses the remaining trypsinogen and activates other pancreatic enzymes such as chymotrypsinogen and carboxypeptidase. Trypsin also helps in breaking down proteins into peptides.
Proteins
Peptides
Carboxypeptidases act on the carboxyl end of the peptide chain and help in releasing the last amino acids.
Peptides
Small peptide chain + Amino acids
Action of Saliva Starch Maltose Isomaltose - Dextrins
Action of Pancreatic Juice
Starch Maltose Isomaltose -Dextrins
Digestion of Disaccharides
Action of intestinal juice
Maltose Glucose Glucose
Isomaltose Glucose Glucose
Sucrose Glucose Fructose
Lactose Glucose Galactose
Dextrins Glucose
Explanation of the answer.
- HCl causes acidic medium and allows pepsinogen to be converted into pepsin.
- Pepsin plays an important role in the digestion of proteins.
- Therefore, if HCl were not secreted in the stomach, then pepsin would not be activated.
- This would affect protein digestion as a pH of about 1.8 is necessary for proteins to be digested.
NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 16 : Digestion and Absorption
NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 16 Digestion and Absorption – Brief Overview
16.1 Digestive System
This topic is further divides into various parts but, this topic defines that digestive system consists of the alimentary canal and related glands. 16.1.1 Alimentary Canal - This topic defines what is elementary canal and from where it starts and ends in the body. After that, in the topic the various functions that different parts and organs perform during digestion. Moreover, these parts and organs include Teeth, Oesophagus, Liver, Gall bladder, Stomach, Intestine, and many more organs. Besides, the chapter describes all these things completely. 16.1.2 Digestive Glands - Mainly this gland includes liver, pancreas, and salivary gland. Moreover, the topic describes all these glands and their functions completely.16.2 Digestion of Food
This topic describes that the process of digestion is completed by a chemical and mechanical process. Also, the topic tells how different cavities and glands help indigestion.- Chyme - It is the process of storing the food by the stomach in it for 4-5 hours. After that, it churns and mixes gastric juice in it.
- Goblet Cells - It refers to that intestinal wall which secretes Mucus.
16.3 Absorption of Digested Products
It refers to the end process by which digested food passes through the intestinal mucosa into the bloodstream. Facilitated transport - It refers to the process of absorption of glucose and amino acid in the bloodstream by a carrier protein. After that, there is a summary of which organ or part (mouth, stomach, small intestine, and large) absorb which thing.16.4 Disorders of Digestive System
This topic describes the various abnormalities that the stomach has to face because of tapeworm, hookworm, roundworm, threadworm, and pinworm, etc.- Jaundice- It’s a liver infection in which the eyes turn yellow due to bile pigment.
- Vomiting- It’s a stomach infection in which the food and other intake come out through the mouth.
- Diarrhea- It’s an abnormality of bowel in which the frequency of movement and liquidity increases.
- Constipation- In it the bowel movement is irregular and the faeces are retained within the colon.
- Indigestion- In it, the food is not completely digested which lead to a feeling of a full stomach. Moreover, its causes are inadequate enzyme secretion, food poisoning, anxiety, spicy food, and overeating.
- Chapter 1 : The Living WorldChapter 2 : Biological ClassificationChapter 3 : Plant KingdomChapter 4 : Animal KingdomChapter 5 : Morphology of Flowering PlantsChapter 6 : Anatomy of Flowering PlantsChapter 7 : Structural Organisation in AnimalsChapter 8 : Cell: The Unit of LifeChapter 9 : BiomoleculesChapter 10 : Cell Cycle and Cell DivisionChapter 11 : Transport in PlantsChapter 12 : Mineral NutritionChapter 13 : Photosynthesis in Higher PlantsChapter 14 : Respiration in PlantsChapter 15 : Plant Growth and DevelopmentChapter 17 : Breathing and Exchange of GasesChapter 18 : Body Fluids and CirculationChapter 19 : Excretory Products and their EliminationChapter 20 : Locomotion and MovementChapter 21 : Neural Control and CoordinationChapter 22 : Chemical Coordination and Integration
Frequently Asked Questions on NCERT Class 11 Biology Chapter 16 : Digestion and Absorption
Q1. Is Chapter 16 of Biology Digestion and Absorption Class 11 difficult to study?
Answer: No, Chapter 16 of Biology Class 11 is not that difficult to study when you understand the topics. We provide NCERT Solutions and online live classes by experts to clear the doubts and make it easier for the students to understand. These solutions are prepared by the experts to clear the doubts of the students.
Q2. Describe the process of digestion in the stomach?
Answer: The digestion starts in the stomach and it gets completed in the small intestine. The digestive juice secreted by digestive glands which consists of hydrochloric acid, pepsinogen, mucus and rennin. The Proenzyme pepsinogen on exposure to hydrochloric acid converts to an active enzyme called pepsin which is a proteolytic enzyme of the stomach. Pepsin converts proteases into peptones.
- Chapter 1 : The Living WorldChapter 2 : Biological ClassificationChapter 3 : Plant KingdomChapter 4 : Animal KingdomChapter 5 : Morphology of Flowering PlantsChapter 6 : Anatomy of Flowering PlantsChapter 7 : Structural Organisation in AnimalsChapter 8 : Cell: The Unit of LifeChapter 9 : BiomoleculesChapter 10 : Cell Cycle and Cell DivisionChapter 11 : Transport in PlantsChapter 12 : Mineral NutritionChapter 13 : Photosynthesis in Higher PlantsChapter 14 : Respiration in PlantsChapter 15 : Plant Growth and DevelopmentChapter 17 : Breathing and Exchange of GasesChapter 18 : Body Fluids and CirculationChapter 19 : Excretory Products and their EliminationChapter 20 : Locomotion and MovementChapter 21 : Neural Control and CoordinationChapter 22 : Chemical Coordination and Integration