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