Biochemistry flashcards

All 10 cards

1. Card 1

   How does salivary alpha-amylase activity differ in boiled versus unboiled saliva, and what are the implications for the Trommer and Lugol tests?

   Boiling denatures salivary alpha-amylase, inactivating the enzyme and preventing starch digestion. Consequently, a Trommer test on boiled saliva would be negative due to the absence of reducing sugars, while a Lugol test would be positive because starch remains intact. In contrast, unboiled saliva contains active alpha-amylase, which digests starch into reducing sugars, leading to a positive Trommer test and a negative Lugol test.

2. Card 2

   Why is pancreatic alpha-amylase essential for carbohydrate digestion in the small intestine, given that salivary alpha-amylase initiates the process in the mouth?

   Salivary alpha-amylase is inactivated by the low pH of the stomach, halting carbohydrate digestion. Pancreatic alpha-amylase, secreted into the small intestine, resumes the breakdown of starch and oligosaccharides. This ensures continued hydrolysis of alpha-1,4 glycosidic bonds, producing maltose and isomaltose, which are then further processed by brush border enzymes.

3. Card 3

   Distinguish between the absorption mechanisms for glucose and fructose across the apical membrane of intestinal cells.

   Glucose is absorbed via SGLT1 (sodium-glucose cotransporter), which utilizes secondary active transport driven by a sodium gradient. This process requires energy indirectly. Fructose, however, is absorbed via GLUT5 through facilitated diffusion, a passive process that does not directly consume energy and relies on the concentration gradient of fructose.

4. Card 4

   How does the structural difference between cellulose and starch explain why humans can digest starch but not cellulose?

   Starch is composed of glucose units linked by alpha-1,4 and alpha-1,6 glycosidic bonds, which human enzymes like alpha-amylase and isomaltase can cleave. Cellulose, on the other hand, consists of glucose units linked by beta-1,4 glycosidic bonds. Humans lack the enzyme beta-glucosidase (cellulase) necessary to hydrolyze these beta-1,4 linkages, rendering cellulose indigestible.

5. Card 5

   Explain the enzymatic basis of lactose intolerance and how it leads to common symptoms.

   Lactose intolerance results from a deficiency or absence of lactase, a brush border enzyme responsible for hydrolyzing lactose into glucose and galactose. Without lactase, undigested lactose passes into the large intestine, where colonic bacteria ferment it. This fermentation produces gases (CO2, H2) and short-chain fatty acids, leading to symptoms such as bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.

6. Card 6

   Define a glycoside and provide an example for both O-glycosides and N-glycosides.

   A glycoside is a compound in which a sugar molecule is linked to another non-sugar molecule (aglycone) via a glycosidic bond. An example of an O-glycoside, where the linkage is through an oxygen atom, is lactose or sucrose. An example of an N-glycoside, where the linkage is through a nitrogen atom, is a nucleoside, such as adenosine in DNA or RNA.

7. Card 7

   How does the branching pattern of glycogen compare to that of starch (amylopectin), and what is the physiological significance of this difference?

   Glycogen is more highly branched than starch (amylopectin), with alpha-1,6 branch points occurring approximately every 10 glucose residues, compared to every 30 residues in amylopectin. This increased branching in glycogen creates a more compact structure with a greater number of non-reducing ends. This allows for faster mobilization of glucose units when energy is needed, which is crucial for animals to respond quickly to metabolic demands.

8. Card 8

   Why is the stomach not considered a site for carbohydrate digestion, despite the presence of salivary alpha-amylase from the mouth?

   The stomach is not a site for carbohydrate digestion because the low pH of gastric acid denatures and inactivates salivary alpha-amylase. This enzymatic inactivation prevents the enzyme from continuing to cleave alpha-1,4 glycosidic bonds in starch and glycogen, effectively halting carbohydrate breakdown until the chyme reaches the more neutral environment of the small intestine.

9. Card 9

   How do chloride ions (Cl–) contribute to the initial stages of carbohydrate digestion?

   Chloride ions (Cl–) serve as an activator for salivary alpha-amylase. Their presence is necessary for the optimal catalytic activity of this enzyme, which initiates the breakdown of starch and glycogen by cleaving internal alpha-1,4 glycosidic bonds in the mouth. Without chloride ions, the enzyme's efficiency in hydrolyzing these complex carbohydrates would be significantly reduced.

10. Card 10

    Explain the role of isomaltase (alpha-dextrinase) in carbohydrate digestion, highlighting why other alpha-amylases cannot fulfill its function.

    Isomaltase (alpha-dextrinase), a brush border enzyme, is crucial for cleaving the alpha-1,6 glycosidic bonds found at the branch points of isomaltose and alpha-dextrins. Salivary and pancreatic alpha-amylases are only capable of cleaving internal alpha-1,4 glycosidic bonds. Therefore, isomaltase is specifically required to fully digest branched polysaccharides into individual glucose units, ensuring complete carbohydrate absorption.

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