Final answer:
The body uses enzymes like amylase, maltase, and lactase to break carbohydrates down into simpler glucose molecules. Lack of lactase leads to lactose intolerance, demonstrating the importance of these enzymes in digestion. The absence of digestive enzymes can cause digestive problems and malnutrition.
Step-by-step explanation:
Enzymatic Breakdown of Carbohydrates
The digestion of carbohydrates involves a sequence of enzymatic reactions that break down complex carbohydrates into simpler molecules. In the mouth, amylase begins the chemical digestion of polysaccharides like starch, breaking them down into shorter polysaccharides and the disaccharide maltose. Digestion continues in the small intestine where pancreatic amylase further breaks down these shorter chains into maltose. Subsequent enzymes, such as maltase, sucrase, and lactase which are located in the brush border of the small intestine, work on disaccharides. Maltase specifically catalyzes the conversion of maltose into two glucose molecules. Similarly, lactase breaks down lactose into glucose and galactose. If a person lacks the enzyme lactase, they can experience lactose intolerance, which may lead to symptoms such as bloating, gas, and diarrhea when consuming dairy products.
In the model of someone with lactase insufficiency, their ability to digest lactose would be compromised, leading to the symptoms mentioned. The absence of other digestive enzymes could also have significant effects on a person's ability to break down and absorb carbohydrates, potentially leading to malnutrition and other digestive issues.