Digestion Of Carbohydrates

What are Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are one of three macronutrients the body uses for energy. A carbohydrate broken down is just sugar. What is found in carbohydrates can be simple or compound, and both forms of these carbohydrate provide different things for our bodies.

The Chemical Structure of a Carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a main source of energy for the body and are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. In order for humans to use the energy carbohydrates give us we must metabolize them. The process we undergo is the opposite of what plant does which helps provide use with the carbohydrates because plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen and allows for the production of carbohydrates. The process converts the sun's light energy into a form of chemical energy useful to humans.

The plants make carbon dioxide from air, water, and energy from the sun into air, forming the chemical strutcture:

(C6H12O6) (6 CO2 + 6 H2O + energy = C6H12O6 + 6 O2

Simple Carbohydrates

Simple Carbohydrates are simple sugars made of monosaccharide or disaccharide parts. Monosaccharides are things like glucose , fructose and galactose. Theres anthoer type of monosaccharides called Oligosaccharides which are carbohydrates made of two to ten monosaccharides. The sugars composed of two sugars are specifically referred to as disaccharides, or double sugars, coming from root of the word di which means two. Disaccharides are composed of sucrose, maltose, and lactose.

Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates are also known as polysaccrides. Polysaccrides are long chains of sugar known as polymers. The signifacance of polysaccrides to the human body are for the simple components of nutrition like starch, glycogen, and dietary fiber.

Refrences-

Collins, Anne. "How We Digest Carbohydrates." Digestion of Carbohydrates. 18 Nov. 2008 http://www.annecollins.com/digestion-of-carbohydrate.htm.

Koesling, Nick. "Carbohydrates." Fitness Guidelines. 18 Nov. 2008 http://www.fitnessguideline.com/articles/carbohydrates-types.html.

Rasberry, Cathrine N. "Carbohydrates." Carbohydrates. 18 Nov. 2008 .