What are carbohydrates and their functions?

What are carbohydrates and their functions?

Carbohydrates, or carbs, are sugar molecules. Along with proteins and fats, carbohydrates are one of three main nutrients found in foods and drinks. Your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose. Glucose, or blood sugar, is the main source of energy for your body’s cells, tissues, and organs.

What toxin can be found in grain food products?

Aflatoxin B1 is the major toxin in cereal grains, such as corn, corn silage and sorghum. Aflatoxins are considered the most potent naturally occurring carcinogen.

How are carbohydrates used in the body?

Carbs Provide Your Body With Energy Glucose in the blood is taken up into your body’s cells and used to produce a fuel molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through a series of complex processes known as cellular respiration. Cells can then use ATP to power a variety of metabolic tasks.

What are examples of carbohydrates in food?

Carbohydrates are found in a wide array of both healthy and unhealthy foods—bread, beans, milk, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti, soft drinks, corn, and cherry pie. They also come in a variety of forms. The most common and abundant forms are sugars, fibers, and starches.

Which of the following are roles carbohydrates play in biological systems?

Key Takeaways

• The four primary functions of carbohydrates in the body are to provide energy, store energy, build macromolecules, and spare protein and fat for other uses.
• Glucose energy is stored as glycogen, with the majority of it in the muscle and liver.

Are mycotoxins chemical or biological?

Chemical contaminants cover a broad range of contaminants, including naturally occurring components of certain food ingredients (e.g., glucosinolates), toxins produced by microorganisms found in the environment (e.g., mycotoxins), pesticides, and industrial chemicals.

How do carbohydrates differ from other biological molecules?

It is made of repeating units of a modified sugar containing nitrogen. Thus, through differences in molecular structure, carbohydrates are able to serve the very different functions of energy storage (starch and glycogen) and structural support and protection (cellulose and chitin).