The quadrant that is largely responsible for digestion is _______________.

Answer 1

If you are separating the abdomen into 4 quadrants, which is common for doctors to determine if certain quadrants are painful or tender etc.., then all 4 quadrants play a valuable role in digestion. If you separate digestion into the components of meals (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids) there are difference in each macromolecular digestion. The stomach, which is located at parts of the upper right and upper left quadrants, is a major player in protein digestion, due to the high amount of peptidases (pepsin) and acid which break down the food into smaller and simpler components. The beginning of the small intestine, or duodenum located in the upper right quadrant, releases many lipases, proteases, and amylases into the lumen (digestive tube center) which further break down fats, proteins and carbohydrates respectively. It is at this point of the duodenum, where bile released from its storage in the gall bladder assists with digestion (mainly fats). Carbohydrate digestion starts as soon as the oral cavity where we release salivary amylases to begin breaking down starchy, or foods high in sugars down.