What are polysaccharides broken down into during digestion?

What are polysaccharides broken down into during digestion?

• A. Disaccharides/ Monosaccharides
• B. Fatty acids and glycerol
• C. Peptides/ Amino Acids
• D. Simple sugars

Answer: (A)

Polysaccharides are long carbohydrate chains that must be broken down into smaller, absorbable units. Enzymes first cut them into disaccharides (like maltose and other two-sugar units), and then brush-border enzymes split those into monosaccharides (glucose, galactose, fructose) ready for absorption. That's why the breakdown products of polysaccharides are disaccharides and monosaccharides—the intermediate and final simple sugar forms the body can use. The other options point to fats or proteins, which come from different digestion pathways, and while “simple sugars” describes the end result, the question reflects the actual stages of carbohydrate digestion, making disaccharides and monosaccharides the best answer.

Polysaccharides are long carbohydrate chains that must be broken down into smaller, absorbable units. Enzymes first cut them into disaccharides (like maltose and other two-sugar units), and then brush-border enzymes split those into monosaccharides (glucose, galactose, fructose) ready for absorption. That's why the breakdown products of polysaccharides are disaccharides and monosaccharides—the intermediate and final simple sugar forms the body can use. The other options point to fats or proteins, which come from different digestion pathways, and while “simple sugars” describes the end result, the question reflects the actual stages of carbohydrate digestion, making disaccharides and monosaccharides the best answer.