Maltose digestion

[SaintJude]

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Discrete. Can someone offer an explanation for the answer please?

A certain individual lacks the enzyme maltase which breaks the disaccharide maltose into glucose monosaccharides. Which of the following will most likely occur.

A. Maltose will be digested by functional lactase enzymes in the small intestine.
B. Maltose will not be adsorbed by active transport but will passively diffuse into cells of the intestinal epithelium.
C. Maltose will be digested by bacteria in the large intestine.
D. The individual will be susceptible to malnutrition due to an inability to absorb glucose.

Answer (pls highlight here): C.

 

[milski]

A - you need maltase, not lactase, so not this one.
B - if it would passively diffuse, it would not need the enzyme. Not to mention that big polar molecules will not get through the cell membrane (remember that factoid from the other question? 😉)
C - sounds very reasonable
D - he'll have problems breaking down maltose, there are other options to get glucose, for example lactose., so not this one either.

 

[Temperature101]

A - you need maltase, not lactase, so not this one.
B - if it would passively diffuse, it would not need the enzyme. Not to mention that big polar molecules will not get through the cell membrane (remember that factoid from the other question? 😉)
C - sounds very reasonable
D - he'll have problems breaking down maltose, there are other options to get glucose, for example lactose., so not this one either.

Your reasoning sound good to me...Would like to see what OP says ..

 

[MT Headed]

Studying fake / alternate sugars is a hobby of mine. Most of them taste pretty good but can't be absorbed in the small intestine. What happens is that they go to the large intestine and bacteria might process them (with gas like methane as a byproduct) and all these extra particles create an unusual osmotic gradient which water follows, creating diarrhea too. Look at the side effects of most fake or alternate sugar... gas, bloating, diarrhea.

A few do get absorbed in the small intestine, but the body can't metabolize the molecule so the kidney flushes it out in the urine.

 

[MedPR]

A - you need maltase, not lactase, so not this one.
B - if it would passively diffuse, it would not need the enzyme. Not to mention that big polar molecules will not get through the cell membrane (remember that factoid from the other question? 😉)
C - sounds very reasonable
D - he'll have problems breaking down maltose, there are other options to get glucose, for example lactose., so not this one either.

My reasoning as well. I was on the fence about C and D, but then I remembered that EK said sucrose and lactose are our main source of glucose.