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Subjects · Leaving Cert Home Economics

Leaving Cert Home Economics: Digestion and absorption

How often Digestion and absorption comes up on the Home Economics papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 3 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025.

OL Asked on 1 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2023.

Digestion and absorption, Higher Level(8 marks)

Quick ones on Digestion and absorption.

(a)Enzyme in saliva and the nutrient it acts on?
  1. Pepsin acting on protein chains
  2. Salivary amylase acting on starch
  3. Pancreatic lipase acting on the fats
(b)Acid produced by the stomach?
  1. Citric acid
  2. Lactic acid
  3. Hydrochloric acid
(c)Enzyme in gastric juice that begins protein digestion?
  1. Pepsin
  2. Lipase
  3. Amylase
Show the answers

(a) Salivary amylase acting on starch

(b) Hydrochloric acid

(c) Pepsin

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Digestion and absorption.

Higher Level

Asked on 3 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025.

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Not asked
2025A2
2024Not asked
2023Not asked
2022A2
2021Not asked
2019Not asked
2018A1
2017Not asked
2016Not asked

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Digestion and absorption questions

Digestion and absorption, 2 marks

Main job of the large intestine?

  1. Digesting protein into amino acids for absorption
  2. Producing bile to emulsify fat
  3. Absorbing water from undigested food
Show the answer

Absorbing water from undigested food

Water and some salts are reabsorbed, leaving the waste as formed faeces. Gut bacteria there also make some vitamin K.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 1 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2023.

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Not asked
2025Not asked
2024Not asked
2023A5
2022Not asked
2021Not asked
2019Not asked
2018Not asked
2017Not asked
2016Not asked

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Digestion and absorption questions

Digestion and absorption, 2 marks

Where does the digestion of food begin?

  1. In the stomach
  2. In the small intestine
  3. In the mouth
Show the answer

In the mouth

Chewing breaks the food up and saliva starts to work on starch, so digestion is under way before food is swallowed.

Digestion and absorption, 3 marks

Which nutrient does the enzyme in saliva act on?

  1. Fat
  2. Starch
  3. Protein
Show the answer

Starch

Salivary amylase starts to break starch down into smaller sugars while the food is still being chewed.

Digestion and absorption, 2 marks

Where are most digested nutrients absorbed into the blood?

  1. The small intestine
  2. The stomach
  3. The large intestine
Show the answer

The small intestine

The wall of the small intestine is covered in villi, which give a huge surface for absorbing the digested food.

Other Home Economics topics

All of Leaving Cert Home Economics