What is the substrate of the enzyme α–amylase? 2. What are the products of the hydrolysis of the substrate? 3. Where does the initial stage of carbohydrate digestion occur in humans? 4. Could you effectively alter blood glucose levels (in a therapeutically useful way) if a patient was given complex carbohydrates by IV? Why or why not?
Ans. 1. All polysaccharides with alpha-1,4-D-glycolsidic bonds/ linkages like starch or glycogen act as substrates for a-amylase.
Ans. 2. Starch/ Glycogen (substrates) ----------- a-amylase-------> D-glucose + maltose
Ans. 3. Initial carbohydrate digestion in human occurs in mouth where salivary amylase partially hydrolyzes starch in food.
Ans. 4. Digestion of carbohydrates occurs in mouth (initial, salivary amylase) and the digestive tract – stomach (chemical breakdown of starch under low pH in stomach) and small intestine (pancreatic amylase is added here). Carbohydrate digestion does not occur anywhere else in the body.
Thus, giving complex carbohydrates through IV does not increase blood glucose because neither the blood does not has a-amylase in it nor the polysaccharide enters lumen of digestive tract for digestion.
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