Carbohydrates, Biology

Assignment Help:

Carbohydrates

Fifty five to seventy per cent of the required energy in animals is derived from carbohydrates. However, fats and proteins can also be broken down and used for supplying energy. In most animals this happens only when the dietary intake of carbohydrates is low. In contrast, Drosophila uses only carbohydrates as a source of energy for its flight muscles and when the supply is exhausted the insect cannot fly even though it uses stored fat for other metabolic processes. Whereas, locusts are known to use only lipids for their long migratory flights. Most animals, however, use a variety of hexose sugars like glucose, fructose, mannose, and galactose as interchangeable sources of energy.

In this way no particular carbohydrate is really considered essential in a way similar to amino acids. But even if no carbohydrate is considered essential, growth of certain animals will be better on one type of sugar than on another. This can be explained better by the results of the following experiment. Young locusts showed that when dietary sugar was maltose growth was maximum or optimum and growth was minimum when no carbohydrate was given. Other sugars supported sub-optimal growth. What could be the reason for this difference? One of the main causes is the difference in the rate of movement of sugars across the gut wall into the blood. From the above experiment we can conclude that certain insects have a preference for a certain carbohydrate which can be called an essential or preferred nutrient. In the above experiment with locusts, maltose was the preferred nutrient.


Related Discussions:- Carbohydrates

Supplementation for prevention of vitamin a deficiency, Define Supplementat...

Define Supplementation for prevention of vitamin A deficiency? Administration of large doses of vitamin A to children at risk has been the most popular approach to control nutr

Lipids, LIPIDS Term given by Bloor. Lipids do not form polymers ...

LIPIDS Term given by Bloor. Lipids do not form polymers in nature except cutin (polymere of fatty acids). Most lipids are formed of fatty acids & alcohol. Ester bo

Synovial fluid and amniotic fluid collection, Synovial fluid Collection: ...

Synovial fluid Collection: The technique of obtaining synovial fluid is called arthrocentesis. It is used to characterize type of arthritis and to differentiate inflammatory

Types of parthenocarpy, Types of Parthenocarpy Three types of Partheno...

Types of Parthenocarpy Three types of Parthenocarpy are generally recognized: Genetical Environmental, Chemically-induced. Genetical Parthe

When does the greatest buffering capacity of weak acids, The greatest buffe...

The greatest buffering capacity of weak acids is when- Select one: a. They are almost completely dissociated b. They are almost completely undissociated c. They are nea

Vitamin – c, VITAMIN - C Also known as ascorbic acid / anti viral v...

VITAMIN - C Also known as ascorbic acid / anti viral vitamin / anti cancer vitamin / anti rabies vitamin / anti scurvy vitamin. It is the earliest known vitamin. It

List the major chemical changes occurring in food, Q. List the major chemic...

Q. List the major chemical changes occurring in food? The major chemical changes occurring in food are lipid oxidation leading to rancidity, loss of vitamins and degradation

Define regulation of malice enzyme by starvation & refeeding, Define regula...

Define regulation of malice enzyme by starvation & refeeding? ME catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of malate to pyruvate and CO 2 simultaneously generating the reduced

What are the inheritance and dominance patterns of rh blood, What are the i...

What are the inheritance and dominance patterns of the Rh blood system? An inheritance pattern of the Rh blood system is autosomal dominant that is the heterozygous manifests a

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd