Tascha is on a medication that increases the pH of the stomach and makes it alkaline. What is the effect of this medication?

A.

The medication hampers bile production.

B.

Pepsin is unable to break down proteins.

C.

Stomach cells secrete more mucus to combat it.

D.

Lipase is unable to break down fats.

E.

The medication hampers mechanical digestion.

B. Pepsin is unable to break down proteins.

Explanation:

We already know that the stomach must be an acidic environment in some situations, but increasing the stomach's natural acidity can impair all digestion. In the case of the question above, the drug taken by Tacha will impair protein digestion as pepsin will find it difficult to work in a more acidic environment than normal.

Pepsin acts during the chemical digestion of food. At this stage, the food is broken down into smaller parts due to the action of various enzymes present in the digestive juice. Pepsin is produced by the walls of the stomach. Its action is controlled by gastrin, a hormone that is also produced by the stomach.

When the proteins in the food come into contact with the walls of the stomach, gastrin stimulates the production of hydrochloric acid, increasing the acidity of the organ to a pH = 2.

The low pH interrupts the digestion of carbohydrates by inactivating the enzyme salivary amylase and denatures proteins, exposing their peptide bonds. Thus, this acidity creates the favorable environment for the performance of pepsin.

Pepsin catalyzes the breakdown of peptide bonds and turns large protein molecules into small peptide chains.

The correct answer is D. Lipase is unable to break down fats.

Explanation:

The chief cells of stomach secretes acid stable lipase for the digestion of triacylglycerol into glycerol and fatty acid.

The lipase enzyme is acid stable that means it functions in the acidic pH. So if the pH of the stomach becomes alkaline then lipase cannot carry out its function in that alkaline environment.

As a result the functioning of lipase will be hampered.