How are polysaccharides (carbohydrates), fats, and proteins broken down?

3 Answers
Apr 24, 2018

Via digestion.

Explanation:

Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are digested in the intestine, where they are broken down into their basic units:

  • Carbohydrates into sugars

  • Proteins into amino acids

  • Fats into fatty acids and glycerol

The body uses these basic units to build substances it needs for growth, maintenance, and activity (including other carbohydrates, proteins, and fats).

Polysaccharides are broken down into glucose, fats are broken down into fatty acid and glycerol , and proteins are broken down into amino acids.

Explanation:

Polysachharides are made up of thousands of glucose units.

In plants, carbohydrates (polysaccharides) are stored in form of starch. It is made up of 2 components, i.e. amylose and amylopectin. These are hydrolyzed into glucose by different types of amylase enzyme.

In animals, extra carbohydrates are stored in form of glycogen .

Glycogen is broken down into glucose by hydrolyzing enzymes in presence of glucagon hormone .

Fats are triglycerides . Each fat or lipid molecule is made up of one glycerol molecule, a trihydric alcohol. To each of the three _OH (hydroxyl) groups, is attached a long chain fatty acid by the processs of esterification with the removal of #H2O# molecule.

A fat molecule is hydrolyzed to form one molecule of glycerol and 3 molecules of fatty acids.

Fatty acids are oxidized to form acetyl Co enzyme A , that enters Kreb's cycle of aerobic respiration.

Proteins are made up of large number of amino acids by the formation of peptide (NH-CO) bonds. A protein molecule is broken down into amino acids by digestive enzymes (mainly Proteases).

Apr 24, 2018

Polysaccharides, fats, and proteins are broken down by hydrolysis, which is the breakdown of a macromolecule by the addition of water.

Explanation:

Hydrolysis of Starch

https://kel-tay-lii.wikispaces.com/A.+Intro+to+Phys

Hydrolysis of Triglycerides

https://www.slideshare.net/nurfvirtual/fatty-acids-and-triglycerides

http://slideplayer.com/slide/8248159/