Nutrition Flashcards
Diffrence between structural and nonstructural carbohydrates
Non-structural carbohydrates are easily digestible and serve as a readily available energy source for animals. These include sugars, starch and glycogen.
On the other hand, structural carbohydrates like cellulose, hemicellulose and pectins are found in plants and provide structural support. They are insoluble and cannot be digested by animal enzymes, however some bacteria in the digestive tract of some animals can break them down.
describe digestion
chewing and saliva: reduce particle size and increase surface area
digestion: breaks down complex molecules into simple ones using enzymatic hydrolysis
body: small molecules absorbed by digestive tract mucosa and transported to body via blood circulation
metabolism: synthesis of new compounds
The reaction that happen during this process are:
Anabolism: Synthesis of new molecules from simple precursors and ATP, which ATP is generated by…
Catabolism: The breakdown of precursors into small molecules to obtain energy (ATP)
Describe Fermentation in animals
It occurs in the rumen and hindgut of ruminants, as well as in the hindgut of monogastric animals.
The process is anaerobic, meaning microbes ferment carbohydrates without fully oxidizing them. The resulting products can be absorbed by the rumen or hindgut mucosa and used in the hosts aerobic metabolism.
Microbes also break protein and nitrogen compounds to create high quality microbial protein. (can thrive low protein diet)
In monogastric animals, fermentation uses nutrients that escape earlier digestion, while in ruminant fermentation changes nutrients BEFORE.
