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NCERT Exemplar Class 11 Biology Solutions Chapter 16 Digestion and Absorption: The chapter provides a complete understanding of the functioning of the digestive system. It explains how digestion starts in the mouth, moves to the small intestine, and then finally expels undigested waste out of the body. Students can refer to the Solutions to improve their understanding of digestion-related questions. Practising the MCQ helps you apply the key concepts and get you ready for the exams. The NCERT exemplar solutions provide a variety of objective-type questions and their answers to test the application of concepts in real-life scenarios.
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Studying the MCQs regularly enhances analytical thinking and accuracy exams by consistently working through these resources. Students can ensure a strong understanding of Digestion and Absorption, and improve their overall biology scores. These exemplar solutions give an extra edge to the students while attempting the problems given in the NCERT Class 11 Biology Book.
The solved exemplar questions are given below-
NCERT Exemplar Class 11th Biology Solution Chapter 16 Digestion And Absorption- Multiple Choice Questions:
Question:1
Select what is not true of intestinal villi among the following.
(a) They possess microvilli
(b) They increase the surface area
(c) They are supplied with capillaries and the lacteal vessels
(d) They only participate in the digestion of fats
Answer:
The answer is option (d) They only participate in the digestion of fats.Question:2
Hepato-pancreatic duct opens into the duodenum and carries
(a) Bile (b) Pancreatic juice (c) Both bile and pancreatic juice (d) Saliva
Answer:
The answer is option (c) Hepato-pancreatic duct opens into the duodenum and carries both bile and pancreatic juice.Question:3
One of the following is not a common disorder associated with the digestive system.m
(a) Tetanus (b) Diarrhoea (c) Jaundice (d) Dysentery
Answer:
The answer is the option (a) Tetanus is not a common disorder associated with the digestive system.Question:4
A gland not associated with the alimentary canal is
(a) Pancreas (b) Adrenal (c) Liver (d) Salivary glands
Answer:
The answer is option (b) A gland not associated with the alimentary canal is adrenal (this is the endocrine gland).Question:5
Match the two columns and select the correct one among the options given
Answer:
The answer is the option (b) A—(iv), B—(i), C—(v), D—(ii), E—(iii)Question:6
Match the two columns and select the right one among the options given
Column I | Column II | ||
A. | Duodenum | (i) | A cartilagenous flap |
B. | Epiglottis | (ii) | Small blind sac |
C. | Glottis | (Hi) | ‘C’ shaped structure emerging from the stomach |
D. | Caecum | (iv) | Opening of windpipe |
Answer:
The answer is the option (c) A—(iii), B—(i), C—(iv), D—(ii)Question:7
Match the enzymes with their respective substrates and choose the right one among the options given.
Column I | Column II | ||
A. | Lipase | (i) | Dipeptides |
B. | Nuclease | (ii) | Fats |
C. | Carboxypeptidase | (iii) | Nucleic acids |
D. | Dipeptidases | (iv) | Proteins, peptones and proteases |
Answer:
The answer is the option (d) A—(ii), B—(iii), C—(iv), D—(i)Question:8
Dental Formula for human beings is
a. 3223/3223
b. 2123/2123
c.1232/1232
d. 2233/2233
Answer:
b. 2123/2123Question:9
The liver is the largest gland and is associated with functions, choose one which is not correct
(a) Metabolism of carbohydrate
(b) Digestion of fat
(c) Formation of bile
(d) Secretion of a hormone called gastrin
Answer:
The answer is option (d) secretion of a hormone called gastrin; as the liver performs all the other functions specified herein.Question:10
Mark the right statement among the following
(a) Trypsinogen is an inactive enzyme
(b) ’trypsinogen is secreted by the intestinal mucosa
(c) Enterokinase is secreted by the pancreas
(d) Bile contains trypsin
Answer:
The answer is option (a) Trypsinogen is an inactive enzyme.Question:1
Answer:
The food is then called chime.Question:2
Answer:
Internal mucosa secretes trypsinogen. The enzyme enterokinase activates inactive trypsinogen into active trypsin.Question:3
Answer:
Absorption of water, simple sugar and alcohol occurs in the stomach.Question:4
Name the enzymes involved in the breakdown of nucleotides into sugars and bases.
Answer:
The enzyme involved in the breakdown of nucleotides into sugar and base is nuclease.Question:5
Define digestion in one sentence.
Answer:
Digestion can be defined as the conversion of complex food substances into simpler absorbable forms.Question:6
Answer:
The type of tooth attachment is known as Thecodont.Question:7
Answer:
The three major parts include:Question:9
Correct the following statements by deleting one of the entries (given in bold).
(a) Goblet cells are located in the intestinal mucosal epithelium and secrete
chymotrypsin/mucus.
(b) Fats are broken down into di- and monoglycerides with the help of
amylase/lipases.
(c) Gastric glands of stomach mucosa have oxyntic cells/ chief cells which
secrete HCI.
(d) Saliva contains enzymes that digest
starch/protein.
Answer:
(a) MucusQuestion:1
What is the pancreas? Mention the major secretions of the pancreas that are helpful for digestion.
Answer:
The pancreas is a compound gland, i.e. both endocrine and exocrine glands. It is situated between the limbs of the U-shaped duodenum. It is a mixed gland since it contains both exocrine and endocrine parts. The exocrine portion of this gland secretes the pancreatic juice released in the duodenum and contains digestive enzymes. The digestive enzyme is alkaline and neutralizes the acid present in the food coming from the stomach into the duodenum. Whereas the endocrine portion of this gland secretes hormones: insulin and glucagon that help maintain the level of sugar in the blood.Question:2
Answer:
The part of the alimentary canal where major absorption of digested food takes place in the small intestine. Carbohydrate is absorbed in glucose form, Proteins are absorbed in the form of amino acids, whereas fats are absorbed in the form of fatty acids and glycerol.Question:3
Answer:
The organs present in the human alimentary canal include the mouth, Oesophagus, Stomach, Small Intestine, Large Intestine and RectumQuestion:4
What is the role of the gallbladder? What may happen if it stops functioning or is removed?
Answer:
The role of the gall bladder is to store bile juice secreted by the liver and release it as and when required in the duodenum.Question:5
Correct the statement given below by the right option shown in the bracket against them.
(a) Absorption of amino acids and glycerol takes place in the___.
(small intestine/ large intestine)
(b) The faeces in the rectum initiate a __reflex causing an urge for its removal.
(neural /hormonal)
(c) Skin and eyes turn yellow in__ infection.
(liver /stomach)
(d) Rennin is a proteolytic enzyme found in gastric juice in__
(infants/adults).
(e) Pancreatic juice and bile are released through.
(intestine-pancreatic/ hepatopancreatic duct)
(f) Dipeptides, disaccharides, and glycerides are broken down into simple substances in the region of ___small intestine.
(jejunum/ duodenum).
Answer:
(a) Small intestineQuestion:6
What are the three major types of cells found in the gastric glands? Name their secretions.
Answer:
The major types of cells in gastric glands along with their secretion are:Question:7
How is the intestinal mucosa protected from the acidic food entering from the stomach?
Answer:
The activities of the gastrointestinal tract, are regulated by the neural system as well as the hormonal system. Many intrinsic and extrinsic nerves connect this tract. These nerves help in the coordinated functioning of several parts of the alimentary canal. Moreover, there are some hormones as well that play an important role in the coordination of these functions.Question:8
How are the activities of the gastrointestinal tract regulated?
Answer:
Activities of the gastrointestinal tract are under neural and hormonal control for proper coordination of different parts:Question:9
Distinguish between constipation and indigestion. Mention their major causes.
Answer:
Constipation | Indigestion |
This can happen because of the intake of less water and roughage in the diet. | This can happen because of inadequate enzyme secretion, food poisoning, or anxiety. |
Bowel movement is irregular, and faeces are retained in the rectum. | Improper indigestion of food gives a feeling of fullness. |
This can be usually cured by improving the intake of water and roughage and by exercise. | This may need medicines for cure. |
Question:10
Describe the enzymatic action on fats in the duodenum.
Answer:
The bile secreted by the liver first carries out the emulsification of fat. After that, the fat is broken down by the enzyme lipase into di- and monoglycerides.Question:1
Answer:
Let us first determine what nutrients the man is taking. Roti mainly consists of carbohydrates and fibres, whereas dal contains protein. It may also contain fat due to the addition of oil during cooking.
Thus, the trajectory of the diet would be as follows:
a) Oral Cavity: Saliva is mixed with food, making it a semi-solid paste, which is easier to digest. Moreover, the enzyme, salivary amylase in saliva digests starch. The starch of food is converted into maltose during this process.
b) Oesophagus: No digestion occurs inside the oesophagus.
c) Stomach: Food, once it reaches the stomach, is further churned into an even finer paste. Hydrochloric acid is mixed with the food, which kills germs in the food, if any, as well as provides acidic pH for optimum activity of pepsin. Partial digestion of protein begins in the stomach. Here, the protein present in dal is converted by pepsin into peptones and proteases.
d) Small intestine: Pancreatic juices flow till here. They contain pancreatic amylase which converts polysaccharides into disaccharides. This step further processes the carbohydrates from the roti. Chymotrypsin further breaks peptones and proteoses into dipeptides. Intestinal juice contains various enzymes, which help in the digestion of all the nutrients. The dipeptides are broken down into Amino acids by the enzyme Dipeptidases. Maltose breaks into glucose with the help of Maltase. Lactose breaks into glucose and galactose with the help of lactase. Sucrose breaks into glucose and fructose with the help of Sucrase. The di- and monoglycerides are broken down into fatty acids and glycerol with the help of Lipases.
Once all the nutrients are finally converted into their simpler forms, they get absorbed by the walls of the small intestine. After that, the remaining undigested food is sent to the large intestine and is passed on to the rectum.
Question:2
Answer:
a) Secretions from Gastric Glands: These glands secrete gastric juice which contains hydrochloric acid and the enzyme pepsin. In infants, renin is also secreted by the stomach. Rennin helps in the digestion of milk.
b) Secretions from the Liver: The liver produces the bile juice. Bile does not contain any enzyme but plays an important role in digestion. It facilitates the emulsification of fats so that their digestion can be easier. Bile also provides an alkaline medium so that the enzymes in the small intestine can work.
c) Secretions from Pancreas: The pancreas secretes pancreatic juice which contains inactive enzymes like amylase, lipase, nuclease; trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen. Trypsinogen is activated by an enzyme enterokinase into active trypsin, secreted by the intestinal mucosa. Trypsin, then activate other enzymes in the pancreatic juice. Amylase digests carbohydrates and trypsin/chymotrypsin digests protein.
d) Secretions from Small Intestine: Small intestine secretes succus entericus which contains various enzymes including dipeptidase, lipase, lactase, etc.
e) End Products of Digestion: The final products of digestion are simpler substances like glucose, amino acids, fatty acids, and glycerol. These substances can be easily absorbed by the villi present in the small intestine.
Question:3
Discuss the mechanisms of absorption.
Answer:
The Absorption of digested food happens through three mechanisms, namely: passive, active or facilitated transport mechanisms.
Simple Diffusion: Small amounts of monosaccharides, amino acids, and some electrolytes are absorbed by diffusion. The passage of the above substances into the blood depends on the concentration gradient.
Facilitated Transport: Fructose, as well as some amino acids, are absorbed with the help of carrier ions like Na+. This method is known as facilitated transport.
Transport of Fatty Acids and glycerols: These substances are not absorbed into the blood because they are insoluble. They are made into small droplets; called micelles. These move to the intestinal mucosa. In the intestinal mucosa, these micelles get converted into very small protein-coated globules, called chylomicrons. The chylomicrons are then transported into the lymph vessels in the villi. The lymph vessels finally release them into the bloodstream.
Question:4
Answer:
The hepato-pancreatic complex is very crucial for the digestion of carbohydrates, protein, and fat.Question:5
Explain the process of digestion in the buccal cavity with a note on the arrangement of teeth.
Answer:
Arrangement of Teeth: In human beings, each tooth is embedded in a socket of the jawbone. This type of attachment is known as the diphyodont. Human beings get two sets of teeth in their lifetime, i.e. temporary teeth, and permanent teeth. Milk teeth are temporary and are replaced by permanent teeth. This type of arrangement is diphyodont.
There are four types of teeth in human beings, namely incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. Each half of a jaw contains numbers of each type of teeth. This can be shown by the following dental formula: 2123/2123. This shows that there are 2 incisors, 1 canine, 2 premolars, and 3 molar teeth in each half of a jaw. Thus, there are a total of 32 teeth in a human adult.
Also, Check NCERT Books and NCERT Syllabus here
Digestion and Absorption is a key chapter for NEET, covering how our body processes food, the organs involved, and the enzymes and hormones that help in digestion. Many NEET questions are asked directly from this chapter, so practicing past year questions helps students understand which topics are most important and how questions are framed.
5 NEET PYQs from Digestion and Absorption:
Q1. Which cells of “Crypts of Lieberkuhn” secrete antibacterial lysozyme?
A. Argentaffin cells
B. Zymogen cells
C. Kupffer cells
D. Paneth cells
Answer:
Paneth cells are specialized cells located at the base of the Crypts of Lieberkuhn in the small intestine. They secrete lysozyme, an antibacterial enzyme that breaks down the cell walls of bacteria, thereby helping to protect the intestinal lining from infection.
Hence, the correct option is D. Paneth cells.
Q2. A baby boy aged two years is admitted to play school and passes through a dental check-up. The dentist observed that the boy had twenty teeth. Which teeth were absent?
A. Incisors
B. Premolars
C. Molars
D. Canines
Answer:
A two-year-old child typically has 20 primary teeth, which include incisors, canines, and molars, but not premolars. Premolars are part of the permanent dentition and usually erupt after the age of six. Therefore, the teeth absent in this child are premolars.
Hence, the correct option is B. Premolars.
Q3. Which hormones stimulate the production of pancreatic juice and bicarbonate?
A. Insulin and glucagon
B. Cholecystokinin and secretin
C. Gastrin and insulin
D. Angiotensin and epinephrine
Answer:
Cholecystokinin (CCK) stimulates the pancreas to secrete enzyme-rich pancreatic juice, while secretin stimulates the secretion of bicarbonate-rich pancreatic juice. These hormones work together to regulate pancreatic secretions essential for digestion and neutralization of stomach acid in the small intestine.
Hence, the correct option is B. Cholecystokinin and secretin.
Q4. The initial step in the digestion of milk in humans is carried out by
A. Pepsin
B. Trypsin
C. Rennin
D. Lipase
Answer:
Rennin (also known as chymosin) is an enzyme produced in the stomach of infants that curdles milk by coagulating casein, facilitating its digestion. This process is the initial step in milk digestion, especially important in young children.
Hence, the correct option is C. Rennin.
Q5. Fructose is absorbed into the blood through mucosa cells of intestine by the process called:
A. Active transport
B. Facilitated transport
C. Simple diffusion
D. Co-transport mechanism
Answer:
Fructose is absorbed through the intestinal mucosa by facilitated transport, which involves specific carrier proteins (such as GLUT-5) that allow fructose to cross the cell membrane without the use of energy. This mechanism differs from active transport, which requires energy.
Hence, the correct option is B. Facilitated transport.
Must Read NCERT Notes subject-wise
To solve the questions is important because having a clear approach helps students break down the chapter into easy-to-understand sections, making it simpler to remember the sequence of digestion, enzyme actions, and absorption processes. A step-by-step strategy also helps in answering both direct and tricky application-based questions in exams.
Read the NCERT and Exemplar to understand the structure and function of the digestive system, including glands and enzymes.
Practice drawing labeled diagrams of the digestive system and the process of digestion.
Memorize the sequence of digestion and absorption for carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
Solve all NCERT and Exemplar questions, focusing on the role of different enzymes, hormones, and absorption mechanisms.
Revise key differences, such as between primary and permanent teeth, and the functions of different digestive glands.
Also, Read NCERT Solution subject-wise
NEET sometimes asks questions that go beyond the NCERT textbook, especially about exceptions, clinical cases, and tricky processes. Studying extra material and more practice questions helps students be fully prepared for all types of NEET questions.
Concept / Topic | NCERT | NEET |
---|---|---|
Structure of Digestive System | ✅ | ✅ |
Digestive Glands and Their Secretions | ✅ | ✅ |
Enzymes and Their Actions | ✅ | ✅ |
Digestion of Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats | ✅ | ✅ |
Absorption Mechanisms (Active, Passive, Facilitated) | ✅ | ✅ |
Hormonal Control of Digestion (gastrin, secretin, CCK) | ✅ | ✅ |
Disorders Related to Digestion (ulcer, malabsorption, jaundice) | ✅ | ✅ |
Gastrointestinal Motility and Regulation | ⬜ | ✅ |
Brush Border Enzymes and Their Specificity | ⬜ | ✅ |
Enteric Nervous System and Gut–Brain Axis | ⬜ | ✅ |
Lipid Emulsification and Micelle Formation | ⬜ | ✅ |
Hepatic Portal Circulation and First-Pass Metabolism | ⬜ | ✅ |
NCERT Exemplar Class 11 Solutions for Other Subjects
NCERT Exemplar Class 11 Mathematics Solutions |
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NCERT Exemplar Class 11 Physics Solutions |
The NCERT Class 11 Biology Exemplar Solutions provide well-written explanations that are written by subject experts and help the student remember everything with ease. Solving these questions helps to strengthen their understanding and increase their confidence in exams.
The solutions of different chapters are given below-
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Students can take help from these solutions, whole practising the questions and while learning the topics to get a better grasp on the chapter.
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Yes, every question and solution in NCERT Exemplar Class 11 Biology solutions chapter 16 is helpful while preparing for both board exams and competitive exams.
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