Question

Write a short note on digestion of carbohydrate in the human body.

Answer 1

Hint: In the human body the carbohydrate digestion occurs in the small intestine with the help of pancreas. Small intestine is the longest part of the human digestive system.

Complete Answer:
- Digestion is the breakdown of large insoluble molecules of food into small molecules that are water-soluble, to absorb them into the plasma of the watery blood. These smaller particles of some species are absorbed into the bloodstream by the small intestine.
- Digestion is a type of catabolism that can be divided into two processes based on the way of food broken down. The term mechanical digestion refers to the physical breakdown of large foodstuffs into smaller parts and then digestive enzymes access them.
- Enzymes separate food into the small molecules that the body can use in chemical digestion.
- In humans, dietary carbohydrates consist of glucose units, named amylose, the polysaccharide, in long chains. During digestion, salivary and pancreatic amylase breaks up the bonds between glucose molecules and contributes to smaller glucose chains. This contributes to simple glucose and maltose sugars that the small intestine can consume.
- Lactase is a disaccharide lactose enzyme that breaks down into its components, glucose and galactose. The small intestine can absorb glucose and galactose. Around 65 per cent of the adult population contains only small quantities of lactase and cannot consume milk-based food without fermentation.
- The word lactose intolerance is widely used. The intolerance of the lactose is very diverse from the genetic heritage; in comparison to some 5% of people of northern European descent, more than 90 % of the people of East Asian descent have lactose intolerance. The enzyme sucrase breaks down disaccharide sucrose, usually called cane sugar, table sugar, or beet sugar.
- Sucrose digestion creates sugars, glucose, and fructose that are readily absorbed into the small intestine. Thus, carbohydrates can be digested by the small intestine with the help of enzymes.

Note: The completion of chemical digestion in the small intestine depends on the pancreas, gallbladder and the liver. The pancreas produces some enzymes that can digest carbohydrates, fats and proteins. The pancreas secretes an alkaline fluid in the small intestine that creates a favourable condition for the action of intestinal enzymes.