absorption
products of digestion move across the intestinal
mucosa, and into the vascular system
what membranes do nutrients pass through
apical and basolateral
active transport consumes
ATP
in intestines, most important active membrane transport pathway is the
Na+/K+ ATPase pump
where does Na+/K+ ATPase pump sit
basolateral membrane
Na+/K+ ATPase pump how does it work
Na+/K+ ATPase pumps 3 Na+ out of cell in exchange for 2 K+ into cell, this keeps the inside of the cell
electrically negative compared to the extracellular fluid.
describe co-transport or symport (secondary active transport using potential energy of Na+ electrochemical gradient)
At the apical surface
- Binds 1 or 2 Na+ ions
- Binds another specific molecule, e.g., glucose
- Fills all binding sites –> Co-transporter protein reconfigures –> Binding sites and ligands all flip to the interior of the cell –> Na+ + co-transported molecule (glucose) released
intracellularly
(recall Na+-K+ ATPase is at basolateral membrane ie other side and pumps Na+ back out)
co-transport aka symport is able to transport glucose against its concentration gradient if
Na+ electrochemical gradient is high enough
what are other nutrients, other than glucose, that are absorbed by the Na+ co-transporter (secondary transport)
amino acids, bile acids and several vitamins
what is another form of secondary transport (other than symport)
sodium/hydrogen exchanger
Na GOES IN (following is chemical gradient due to the Na+-K+ ATPase pump)
H goes OUT
tertiary active transport
chloride-bicarb exchanger
This tertiary active transport mechanism is driven by the gradients that are set up by the sodium/hydrogen
exchanger, which is secondary active transport, as it is driven by the primary Na+/K+-
ATPase pump.
Passive transport through the intestinal epithelium either takes place
through ion
channels in the cell membranes, or directly through the tight junctions
transcellular absorption ie passive diffusion
passive transport through ion channels; ions move along their electrochemical gradient
how are ion channels regulated (passive transport)
opened or closed
transcellular absorption vs paracellular absroption
paracellular absorption (ie passive transport through tight junctions) has movement in response to
osmotic pressure and electrochemical gradients
what are the products of membranous-phase digestion of carbs and how are they absorbed
glucose and galactose
absorbed by sodium co-transport (secondary active transport, symport) in apical membrane
how is fructose absorbed
Transported across both apical and basolateral surfaces by facilitated diffusion
how are free amino acids absorbed
using Na+ cotransporters (secondary active transport; symport)
3-5 diff types of cotransport proteins used (those for neutral, basic and acidic amino acids)
how are dipeptides and tripeptides absorbed
how are lipids absorbed