Carbohydrates Flashcards
what is the basic building block of all carbohydrates?
monosaccharides
what are the 4 types of carbohydrates, based on how many monosaccharides long they are?
- monosaccharides: basic unit
- disaccharides: made up of two monosaccharides
- oligosaccharides: 2-10 monosaccharides long (technically disaccharides are in this category)
- polysaccharides: over ten monosaccharides long
what are the 3 types of monosaccharides?
- gluctose
- fructose
- galactose
where is galactose found?
only in milk!!
what is the most common monosaccharide?
glucose
where is fructose found?
in sugary foods like molasses and berries
what are the 3 types of disaccharides? give what they are made of
- maltose = glucose + glucose
- sucrose = glucose + fructose
- lactose = glucose + galactose
describe digestion of carbohydrates in the mouth
salivary alpha amylase begins to breakdown carbohydrates; the longer in the mouth the more digestion occurs
does the digestion that happens in the mouth really play a large role in digestion of carbohydrates?
no; is negligible
does any digestion of carbohydrates occur in the stomach?
NO!!! the stomach contains NOTHING to digest carbs
describe the 4 steps of carbohydrate digestion in the small intestine
- when chyme enters the duodenum the duodenum secretes cholecystokinin (CCK)
- CCK acts on the pancreas to secrete digestive enzymes (pancreatic alpha amylase which breaks polysaccharides into oligosaccharides)
- oligosaccharidases along the brush border break down oligosaccharides into disaccharides
- disaccharidases along the brush border break down disaccharides into monosaccharides, which can finally be digested
give the 3 disaccharidases and what they do in the small intestine for digestion of carbohydrates
- maltase: breaks down maltose into 2 glucoses
- sucrase: breaks down sucrose into glucose + fructose
- lactase: breaks down lactose into one glucose and one galactose
where does digestion of carbohydrates mostly occur in the small intestine and why?
the jejunum; it is the longest part of the SI
how is absorption of carbohydrates accomplished?
through transporters
list and describe the 2 transporters that are responsible for absorption of carbohydrates into cells of the small intestine from the lumen of the SI
- sodium-glucose symporter: on the brush border; transports one glucose and one galactose into the cells along with 2 sodiums
- GLUT5: also on the brush border; will transport fructose into the cell via facilitated diffusion; nothing else transported into cell along with it
list and describe the 2 transporters that transport carbohydrates out of cells of the SI and into the blood stream for absorption
- GLUT2: transports glucose and galactose out of the cell
2. GLUT5: transports fructose out of the cell
in absorption of carbohydrates, what occurs after glucose, fructose, and galactose are transported out of the cells and into the bloodstream?
glucose, fructose, and galactose enter the hepatic portal system and travel to the liver, where fructose and galactose are converted to glucose
how is transport of glucose across cell membranes accomplished?
through 2 types of glucose transport proteins
what are the 2 types of glucose transport proteins?
- insulin independent
2. insulin dependent
name the 3 types of insulin independent glucose transport proteins
- GLUT1
- GLUT2
- GLUT3
name the one glucose dependent transport protein
GLUT4
where is GLUT1 found? (2)
- in small concentrations on every cell
2. in high concentration on erythrocytes and cells in the blood brain barrier
describe GLUT1’s affinity for glucose and what that means
GLUT1 has a high affinity for glucose, which means that is can transport glucose into cells no matter how low the blood glucose concentration is
why is GLUT1 found in high concentrations on erythrocytes and on cells in the blood brain barrier?
because erythrocytes and the blood brain barrier REQUIRE glucose, so they have GLUT1 so they can get glucose no matter what the blood glucose concentration is
where is GLUT3 found?
on neurons in the brain and other neurons
describe GLUT3’s affinity for glucose
also has a high affinity for glucose like GLUT1
where is GLUT2 found? (2)
- on hepatocytes in the liver and
2. on pancreatic cells
describe GLUT2’s affinity for glucose
has a low affinity for glucose, meaning that glucose is only transported when there are high concentrations of blood glucose
when is blood glucose concentration usually high, allowing for GLUT2 to work?
just after a meal, and GLUT2 works because it is found on hepatocytes in the liver and all glucose from the diet goes to the liver first
where is GLUT4 found?
in muscle and adipose cells
when is GLUT4 expressed on muscle and adipose cells?
only when insulin is present
how does GLUT4 work?
glucose will only be transported into muscle and adipose cells when insulin is secreted
when and what causes insulin to be secreted?
insulin is secreted by the pancreas in response to high blood glucose which is sensed due to glucose transport via GLUT2
what is the main effect of insulin and why?
main effect is to lower blood glucose since it is secreted in response to high glucose levels
what are the 2 specific effects of insulin?
- GLUT4 expression (on muscle and adipose cells)
2. activation of metabolic pathways that utilize/store glucose (keep it out of the bloodstream)
when insulin is secreted and blood glucose is high immediately after a meal, what state is the animal in?
Fed State
when is glucagon secreted and what is it secreted by?
glucagon is secreted by the pancreas when insulin is not being secreted
what two things is the pancreas always secreting to regulate blood glucose levels?
insulin or glucagon
what is the main effect of glucagon?
to MAINTAIN blood glucose
what is the specific effect of glucagon?
activation of metabolic pathways that synthesize glucose and release glucose from storage (add removed glucose back to bloodstream for cells that require it)
how long will the fasted state last?
until all body reserves have been used up
what is the main goal of glycolysis?
to convert one molecule of glucose (a 6 carbon molecule) into 2 molecules of pyruvate (3-carbon molecules) for ATP (energy)
where does glycolysis take place and what does this mean?
takes place in the cytoplasm, meaning that any cell can perform glycolysis, do not need organelles like mitochondria to provide energy
what MUST happen in order for glycolysis to take place?
glucose MUST get into the cell
write out the entire process of glycolysis (11 steps)
every time you see this card, get a whiteboard and WRITE IT!!!! does not matter if studying for a quiz or exam or what, just DO IT
name the 4 ways of regulation of glycolysis
- glucose transport
- glucokinase
- phosphofructokinase-1
- pyruvate kinase
for what cells is the glucose transport regulation of glycolysis relevant for? why?
only on cells with GLUT2 and GLUT4 due to their low affinity for glucose meaning they require certain conditions in order for glucose to enter
describe the regulation of glycolysis that occurs via the glucose transporter GLUT2
GLUT2 will only transport glucose into liver and apncreatic cells when there are high concentrations of glucose outside those cells due to their low affinity for glucose; so glycolysis will only occur in those cells when there are high concentrations of glucose
describe the regulation of glycolysis that occurs via the glucose transporter GLUT4
GLUT4 will only tranposrt glucose into muscle and adipose cells when INSULIN IS PRESENT, so glycolysis will only occur in these cells when INSULIN IS PRESENT
describe the affinity for glucose of glucokinase, which catalyzes the first step of glycolysis in liver cells and what this means for glycosis
has a low affinity for glucose, so glycolysis will only be initiated in these cells when there are high concentrations of glucose inside those cells
describe the affinity for glucose of hexokinase, which catalyzes the first step of glycolysis in all cells except liver cells and what this means for glycolysis
has a high affinity for glucose, so will always be active in the presence of glucose
what does phosphofructokinase-1 do in glycolysis?
converts fructose 6-phosphate into fructose 1,6-bisphosphate in the first committed step of glycolysis
what does it means when we refer to the first committed step of glycolysis?
after the conversion of fructose 6-phosphate into fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, the only pathway that can now occur is glycolysis, the product must move on in conversion to pyruvate
how is phosphofructokinase-1 regulated (2)
- inhibited by a buildup of ATP
2. reactivated by fructose 2,6-bisphosphate
when phosphofructokinase-1 is inhibited by a buildup of ATP, what happens to the glucose that would have entered glycolysis
it is stored as glycogen
can the liver hold all the stored glycogen in the world? what does this mean?
no, so phosphofructokinase-1 is reactivated by fructose 2,6-bisphosphate
when is fructose 2,6-bisphosphate synthsized?
when insulin is present
what does pyruvate kinase do?
converts phosphoenol pyruvate into pyruvate in the final step of glycolysis
how is pyruvate kinase regulated (2)
- activated by fructose 1,6-bisphosphate becauase products are now committed to glycolysis
- inhibited by glucagon
how much ATP is produced by glycolysis?
4 ATP