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Why should complex carbohydrates be broken

down?
Where does the absorption of glucose occur in the GI
tract?

1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

During digestion, carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars and absorbed in the small intestine, where they are transported to the tissues and used for cellular respiration.

Step-by-step explanation:

During digestion, carbohydrates are broken down into simple, soluble sugars that can be transported across the intestinal wall into the circulatory system to be transported throughout the body. Carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth with the action of salivary amylase on starches and ends with monosaccharides being absorbed across the epithelium of the small intestine. Once the absorbed monosaccharides are transported to the tissues, the process of cellular respiration begins, where the monosaccharide glucose is oxidized, releasing the energy stored in its bonds to produce ATP.

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