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

Restructured meat products, Re s t r u c t u re d Meat Products ...

Re s t r u c t u re d Meat Products Restructuring technique is used for developing convenience products with texture in between intact steak and a comminuted product.

Types of leaves, Types of leaves Collect leaves from such plants as lil...

Types of leaves Collect leaves from such plants as lilies, bamboo, corn, willow and geraniums. View that the monocots (lily, bamboo, corn, sugar cane) have the veins running pa

Determine the effective spring constant of the molecule, A Molecule of DNA ...

A Molecule of DNA is 2.17 um long. The ends of the molecule become strongly ionixed: negative on one end, positive on the other. The helical molecule acts like a spring and compres

What happens to the parent cell, What is produced at the end of the cell cy...

What is produced at the end of the cell cycle? how do they compare to each other and to the parent cell? What happens to the parent cell?

Acellular and cellular organisms, Acellular and Cellular Organisms you...

Acellular and Cellular Organisms you should be able to characterise living and non- living matter. However, the boundary-line between the two is not very precise. As you have

What is transgenic animal, Question 1 Write a short note on the following- ...

Question 1 Write a short note on the following- Transfection Synthetic seeds Transgenic crops Agrometerology Question 2 Describe any 5 screening techniques use

Fibre requirements for ulcerative colitis, Q. Fibre requirements for ulcera...

Q. Fibre requirements for ulcerative colitis? Fibre: Eliminating roughage seems to have a better effect on preventing relapses of the disease. A low residue diet may be given d

Explain the completed test - most probable number test, Explain the Complet...

Explain the Completed Test - Most Probable Number Test? Coliform colonies on EMB or Endo agar are further examined by completed test by inoculating lactose broth and nutrient 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