Pineda, Isle M.

HW1 – Carbohydrates FEB 24, 2022

BSN YB 22

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING:

1. What is the physiological significance of branching in polysaccharides?

Polysaccharide used as to longer energy storage and its structural stability. Since the
glycogen and starch can break down and build up enzymes freely the physiological
branching in polysaccharides is to ensure that the energy added up as much as possible
and can break it when there is shortage in energy supply.

2. Discuss briefly the cause of lactose intolerance.

Lactose Intolerance is digestive order where the small intestine can’t produce enough
enzymes which are the lactase to digest the lactose. In that case if the person had Lactose
Intolerance that one can cause the Lactose malabsorption which the small intestine can’t
produce its lactase (breaking enzyme) to break down the lactose as a result it can passes
into your colon and worst you can feel stomach cramps, diarrhea, and bloating. It’s
harmless but the symptoms are not uncomfortable.

3. Why humans do not have the capacity to digest cellobiose or cellulose?

Cellobiose is a disaccharide, cellulose is polysaccharide. The reason why human does not
have capacity to digest these two since cellobiose and cellulose have B(1,4) glycosidic
linkages. Human body is lack of enzymes that can break the beta-acetyl linkages, humans
unable to metabolized the cellulose as a source of glucose, the human digestive system
are lack enzymes that hydrolyze the B glycosidic linkage. That’s why human can eat
vegetables but can’t eat grass.

4. What is the difference between a carbohydrate and sugar?

Carbohydrates are the type of complex macronutrient that can found in some foods and
drinks that human can digest while sugar is a type of sweet taste that can use in foods
and drinks. The difference between two are the carbohydrates are the complex sugars can
be found at starch, sugars and fiber but the sugar is the simple sucrose molecules that
can solute using the water (can be hot or cold). In addition the simple sugar is called as
monosaccharide since it has only one polyhydroxy aldehyde or ketone unit but the
carbohydrates can called as polysaccharide since it contains chains of polyhydroxy
aldehyde or the ketone unit.