Artificial digestion is a laboratory technique that reduces digestible material for analytical purposes. Naturally occurring digestive agents such as pepsin and hydrochloric acid are typically used to accomplish artificial digestion.
As an example, artificial digestion is used to detect the presence of encysted trichinella larvae in suspected muscle tissue. The meat sample is dissolved by a digestive solution and the remains are examined for the presence of larvae.
Famous quotes containing the words artificial and/or digestion:
“In truth, politeness is artificial good humor, it covers the natural want of it, and ends by rendering habitual a substitute nearly equivalent to the real virtue.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
“My dear, if Mr. Carlyle’s digestion had been stronger, there is no saying what he might have been!”
—Jane Welsh Carlyle (1801–1866)