Three medical students (X,Y,and Z)studying for their physiology final examination develop headaches.Student X takes a regular aspirin with a glass of water; Y takes an enteric-coated aspirin with a glass of water; and Z takes an enteric-coated aspirin with a glass of milk (an enteric coating is one that dissolves only when the pH is above 6).Assuming that headache relief is proportional to plasma aspirin concentrations and that X_t,Y_t,and Z_t are the times until relief is experienced by the respective students,which of the following best represents the relationship between X_t,Y_t,and Z_t?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Regular aspirin dissolves in the stomach, leading to quicker absorption and relief (X). Enteric-coated aspirin dissolves in the intestines, delaying absorption (Y and Z). Milk can further delay the dissolution of enteric-coated aspirin by neutralizing stomach acid, making Z experience the longest delay in relief.

Three Medical Students (X,Y,and Z)studying for Their Physiology Final Examination