What describes the function of brush border enzymes?

What describes the function of brush border enzymes?

• A. They are enzymes located on microvilli that complete digestion of carbohydrates and peptides
• B. They are located in the stomach and secrete mucus
• C. They transport fatty acids into the blood directly
• D. They neutralize stomach acid

Answer: (A)

Brush border enzymes sit on the microvilli of the intestinal absorptive cells in the small intestine and carry out the final steps of digestion right at the surface. They finish breaking down carbohydrates by converting disaccharides into monosaccharides (glucose, galactose, fructose) and finish breaking peptides into amino acids, enabling absorption into the bloodstream. This is why they’re described as finishing digestion just before absorption. They’re not secreted in the stomach and don’t secrete mucus, they don’t move fatty acids directly into the blood, and they don’t neutralize stomach acid.

Brush border enzymes sit on the microvilli of the intestinal absorptive cells in the small intestine and carry out the final steps of digestion right at the surface. They finish breaking down carbohydrates by converting disaccharides into monosaccharides (glucose, galactose, fructose) and finish breaking peptides into amino acids, enabling absorption into the bloodstream. This is why they’re described as finishing digestion just before absorption. They’re not secreted in the stomach and don’t secrete mucus, they don’t move fatty acids directly into the blood, and they don’t neutralize stomach acid.