Discuss the complete process of carbohydrate digestion, beginning in the mouth

What will be an ideal response?


Carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth with the action of amylase in the saliva on starch in the food. The action of amylase continues until stomach acids deactivate this enzyme. The arrival of food in the small intestine stimulates the release of another enzyme, pancreatic amylase, which further breaks down starch molecules into the disaccharides maltose, lactose, and sucrose. Then brush border enzymes (maltase, lactase, and sucrose) in the microvilli break the disaccharides into the monosaccharides glucose, galactose, and fructose. These monosaccharides are absorbed into the bloodstream and transported to the liver, where the fructose and galactose are converted to glucose, which is either stored in the liver or transported in the blood for delivery to your cells. The fiber continues down to the large intestine, where some of it is metabolized by bacteria in your colon. The majority of the fiber is eliminated in stool.

Nutritional Science

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Short chains of glucose units that result from starch breakdown are called ____

a. sucrose b. lignins c. pectins d. dextrins e. lextrins

Nutritional Science

"Vacillating" consumers _____

a. are not concerned about the connection between diet and health b. believe a healthy diet is not an important part of preventing illness c. consistently select nutritious food and strive for health d. tend to vary their food choices depending on the occasion e. tend to describe themselves as "meat and potato eaters"

Nutritional Science

Zinc is primarily carried in the blood via _____.

a. hemoglobin b. metallothionein c. albumin d. high-density lipoproteins e. low-density lipoproteins

Nutritional Science

According to the principles of the USDA Food Patterns, the foundation of a healthful diet should consist of

a. dairy. b. fruits. c. protein foods. d. nutrient-dense foods.

Nutritional Science