In: Biology
a.) Name three types of nutrients that are absorbed without being digested and why this occurs
Food contain macronutrients such as:
1.Sugars: some of the Sugars which we eat are already in the form
of monosaccharides, or single sugar molecules. These single sugars
include glucose, galactose and fructose, and your small intestine
absorbs them without need to digest them first.
2. Amino acids: we consume few free amino acids. We can, however,
supplement with free amino acids, and these molecules are ready for
absorption by the cells of our small intestine without the process
of prior digestion.
These are small enough that they do not require digestion.
Other nutrients, including:exist in foods as small molecules able
to be absorbed without being broken down therefore they are not
digested.
3.Vitamins : Vitamins are organic, or carbon-containing, molecules
our body requires in small amounts for optimal health. Although
they naturally exist in association with various foods and may be
carried through our gastrointestinal system as our food undergo
digestion, they are small enough for our small intestine to absorb
without digestion. Vitamins are classified as either water-soluble
or fat-soluble, depending on their ability to mix with water.
Special proteins in the cells of our small intestine bind to
water-soluble vitamins for absorption, while fat-soluble vitamins
absorb into our intestinal cells along with digested fat
molecules.
4. Minerals: Minerals are essential elements we need in our diet to
fulfill roles including structure, cell signaling, fluid balance,
nutrient metabolism, nerve function and muscle contraction. As with
vitamins, minerals are bound with foods and pass through our
intestinal tract during digestion. However, they do not experience
digestion but rather undergo absorption directly into the cells
lining our intestines.