20. Carbohydrates

Give the name of one or more polysaccharides that matches each of the following descriptions:

b. the storage form of carbohydrates in plants

What are the disaccharides and polysaccharides present in each of the following?

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Our bodies cannot digest cellulose because we lack the enzyme cellulase. Why is cellulose an important part of a healthy diet if we cannot digest it?

Describe the properties of soluble fiber.

Based on the sweetness index in Table 6.2, if you tasted a drop of each of the syrups below, which would taste the sweetest?

(a) light corn syrup (100% glucose)

If one sweetener packet of Splenda, Sweet’N Low, or Equal has the same sweetness as two tablespoons of sugar, according to Table 6.2, which of the packets contains the smallest amount of the sweetener?

Describe the similarities and differences of the following polysaccharides:

(a) amylose and amylopectin

Explain whether the following blood types could be donated to a person with type B blood:

(a) A

How is the polysaccharide heparin different from the glucose polysaccharides?

Give the name of one or more polysaccharides that matches each of the following descriptions:

(d) produces maltose during digestion

The shell of a shrimp is composed of chitin. If you eat a boiled shrimp without removing the shell, will your body break the shell down into its component sugars? Explain. (Hint: Compare chitin’s structure to that of amylose and cellulose.)

Glycogen and amylopectin are both branched polymers of glucose. Read the descriptions of each in Section 6.6. Which molecule has a more compact structure? Explain.

Which of the components in starch is more likely to be broken down more quickly in plants, amylose or amylopectin? Why?

How much energy is produced if a person eats 50 g of digestible carbohydrate (not fiber) in a day? In this case, what percent of a 2200 Calorie diet would be digestible carbohydrate? Recall that carbohydrates provide four Calories of energy per gram consumed.