THE FEED PROBLEM 257 



sin splits it into simpler products which places it in a form 

 readily absorbable. In other words, the protein of wheat, 

 corn, and meat-scrap have to be reconstructed in order to 

 form a part of the tissue of the fowl. 



The function of the trypsin in the small intestine is to break 

 down these protein molecules into a number of simpler bodies 

 of less molecular weight. 



Protein is converted into albumose and peptone, carrying 

 the splitting-up process to the formation of end-products, as 

 amido-acids, tyrosin, and leucin, glantaminic acid, aspartic 

 acids, tryptophan, hexone bases, lysin, arginin, and histidin. 



There is still another ferment found in the intestines and 

 which is secreted by the glands of the intestinal mucous mem- 

 brane. This secretion is called erepsin, and is capable of 

 acting on any protein escaping the action of the gastric or 

 pancreatic ferments. It is capable of sphtting peptones and 

 albumoses into tyrosin and leucin. 



The lipolytic ferment, steapsin, is the ferment which spHts 

 the neutral fats into fatty acids and glycerin. The hberated 

 fatty acids unite with the alkaline bases of the bile and soaps 

 and glycerin are formed. In this emulsification process the 

 oil globules are rendered very small, which do not again 

 coalesce, and are then further split up, as indicated above. 

 Through the lacteals the fats are absorbed as soaps and 

 glycerin, where the lipase may reunite them back into fat; 

 therefore lipase has a reversible action. 



A diastatic ferment, known as amylopsin, acts upon the 

 starch, finally splitting it into maltose and achroodextrin; 

 these are then by the maltase of the succus entericus, or secre- 

 tion from certain cells of the glands of the intestinal mucous 

 membrane, converted into dextrose, in which form it is taken 

 up by the capillaries of the intestinal mucous membrane. 



The liver, hke the pancreas, is an accessory organ of diges- 

 tion. (See Fig. 98, letter c.) 



From an anatomic standpoint the hver differs from other 

 organs in that it is provided with two blood-supphes : (1) The 

 nutrient blood which furnishes nutrients to the cells of the 

 organ, and (2) a functional blood-supply from which it obtains 

 certain substances to act upon. 



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