Question

Explain the digestion process of a complex carbohydrate by arranging the statements in the order that they occur.

a. The enzyme, amylase. which is present in saliva breaks potysaccharide chains into disaccharides.
b. Other enzymes in the small intestine further break the potysaccharide into monosaccharides.
c. You take a bite and to chew the complex carbohydrate into smaller pieces.
d. Amylase is deactivated by the low pH in the stomach.
e. Monosaccharides are absorbed through the intestinal wad.

Answer 1

The digestion process of a complex carbohydrate involves chewing, enzymatic action of amylase in the mouth, deactivation of amylase in the stomach, breakdown into monosaccharides in the small intestine, and absorption through the intestinal wall.

Step-by-step explanation:

Digestion Process of a Complex Carbohydrate

1. Chewing: You take a bite and chew the complex carbohydrate into smaller pieces.
2. Salivary Amylase Activity: The enzyme amylase, which is present in saliva, breaks polysaccharide chains into disaccharides.
3. Amylase Deactivation: Amylase is deactivated by the low pH in the stomach.
4. Duodenal Digestion: Other enzymes in the small intestine further break the polysaccharide into monosaccharides.
5. Absorption: Monosaccharides are absorbed through the intestinal wall.

The digestion of complex carbohydrates begins with mechanical digestion through chewing, which reduces the size of the food particles. Chemical digestion then commences with salivary amylase breaking down the carbohydrates into smaller sugar chains. While this enzyme is deactivated in the stomach's acidic environment, it resumes its action in the duodenum with the help of pancreatic juices, which contain more amylase. Here, disaccharides are converted to monosaccharides by enzymes like maltase, sucrase, and lactase. Finally, these monosaccharides are absorbed through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream.