Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates or simple sugars are a major source of energy for all living things. Carbohydrates are made up of three key compounds; carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The name carbohydrate is derived from two words- carbo for carbon and hydrates for water. The chemical formula for glucose, a simple sugar, is C6H12O6. A simple sugar is also known as a monosaccharide. Two sugars joined together are called a disaccharide. More than two sugars joined are known as polysaccharides.

Carbohydrates are found in many of our foods like potatoes, rice, pasta, corn, and breads however, our bodies cannot absorb polysaccharides (long chains of carbohydrates). The breakdown of carbohydrates begins with saliva in the mouth. Our saliva contains an enzyme called amylase. The amylase works like a pair of scissors breaking the bonds between each simple sugar.

Once carbohydrate digestion is complete, single molecules of glucose are left. Glucose is small enough to be absorbed by the small intestine. Once it is absorbed, glucose can be carried to your body cells. The organelle the breaks down glucose to release energy is the mitochondria. The process in which glucose is broken down is called cellular respiration.