BIO 115 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Lactase, Brush Border, Weaning
Document Summary
Human biology persistence of lactase production in humans. Enterocytes the cells that line the inside of digestive tract are responsible for breaking down and absorbing nutrients from the food in the stomach and small intestines. The enterocytes of all infant mammals exhibit high levels of lactase during infancy, when milk is the main source of nutrition. The cells in gi tract have high levels of enzyme lactase during infancy. Babies produce lots of this enzyme digest enzymes in their main food. Lactose is a disaccharide sugar found in milk. Lactase breaks down lactose into two monosaccharides, glucose and galactose. These simple sugars can be absorbed by cells in the small intestine and used as a source of energy. This is the brush border of an enterocyte, which is the side of the enterocyte that comes in contact with the contents of the small intestine. Lactase is the side of the enterocyte that comes into contact with.
