Which of the following food is digested easily in the human body?
-
Sucrose
-
Glucose
-
Starch
-
Cellulose
B
Correct answer
Explanation
Glucose is a monosaccharide that requires no digestion - it can be absorbed directly through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream via specific transporters. Sucrose is a disaccharide that must first be broken down by the enzyme sucrase into glucose and fructose before absorption. Starch is a polysaccharide requiring extensive enzymatic breakdown by amylase into maltose and eventually glucose. Cellulose cannot be digested by humans at all due to lack of cellulase enzyme. Therefore glucose is the most easily and rapidly absorbed.