Absorption of Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Lipids

Digestion and absorption process      

Every living being needs the energy to work, which is obtained from food. Though when we eat food, we directly do not get the energy that is required. Instead, there are various processes that take place for the production of energy inside the body. The food we eat is broken down into smaller units, known as the process of digestion. It is after the digestion process that the basic units are utilised by the body to produce energy through the process of absorption.

The absorption process can be classified into two different types:- the physical absorption process and the chemical absorption process. The two processes differ from each other by the chemical reactions that take place between the solute and the solvent. If there is no chemical reaction occurring between the solute and the solvent, then it is called the physical absorption process.

We can define the absorption process in the following way:-
This process describes how atoms, ions, or molecules from a substance adhere to a surface of absorbent. They are then absorbed and transformed into energy.
The digested food in the body moves through different digestive organs and gets absorbed into the intestine through its walls by microvilli into the blood.

Many times, the absorption process in the human body is misunderstood by the assimilation process. The difference between the two processes is that during absorption, the molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream; however, during the assimilation process, the synthesis of new compounds takes place from the absorbed molecule.

Absorption of carbohydrates   

Carbohydrates are known to be sugar molecules, and they consist of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. Carbohydrates are mainly of three types:- starches, sugars, and fibre. The body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, also called blood sugar, which is the main source of energy for our body cells, tissues, and organs.

The digestion of these compounds begins in the mouth. During this process, the salivary and the gastric enzymes act on carbohydrate molecules and convert them into oligosaccharides.
Afterwards, the hydrolysis of this compound takes place, where the hydrolysed carbohydrates are changed into monosaccharides.

The main site of digestion of carbohydrates, that is, where the digestion of carbohydrates takes place in extreme conditions, is the small intestine.
In the small intestine, the overall absorption of carbohydrate molecules takes place into the bloodstream by the microvilli and is then delivered to the liver.

Absorption of proteins      

In clear words, the meaning of absorption of protein is how much the body is able to break down the animal or plant protein sources one ingests into individual components. Protein molecules get broken down into different amino acids that are needed by the body for everyday living, like maintaining and improving muscle strength. 

The body assimilates proteins in the form of dipeptides and amino acids, and to churn these proteins into their components, they must pass through all the required steps of absorption. 

First of all, the protein molecules travel to the stomach, where the absorption starts. Here, with the help of the pepsin enzyme and through peristalsis movement, which is very powerful, the protein is digested and turned to chyme. But this chyme is still a partially digested protein. Therefore, it next moves to the small intestine, where it turns into dipeptides and amino acids. It is then absorbed into the bloodstream through the microvilli, from where it is carried to the liver.

Absorption of lipids      

Lipids are broken down by the process of digestion into fatty acids and glycerol. The absorption of lipids involves the hydrolysis of dietary fats in the lumen of the intestine, which is then absorbed by way of the uptake of hydrolysed products via enterocytes in a subtle way. Enterocytes are cells of the intestinal lining in a particularly big way. Lipids are specifically re-synthesised in the endoplasmic reticulum, or so they are generally thought.

The process includes the small intestine, where bile emulsifies fats and enzymes literally digest them. The intestinal cells absorb the fats, which is specifically quite significant. Long-chain fatty acids form a giant lipoprotein structure referred to as a chylomicron that transports fat through the lymph system, which for the most part, is fairly significant.

Conclusion   

Many functions are enrolled in the production of energy from food, and one such process known as absorption . Absorption process of Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Lipids. Digestion and absorption are the two main processes that help convert the food we eat into energy to sustain our daily activities. During this process, atoms, ions, or molecules from a food substance adhere to the surface of an absorbent from where they are absorbed and transformed into energy. The absorption of carbohydrates and lipids primarily takes place in the small intestine, while the proteins are absorbed by the stomach.