es of the diet are either large polysaccharides or di-
saccharides, which are combinations of monosaccharides
bound to one another by condensation.Specific enzymes in the digestive juices of the
gastrointestinal tract return the H+ and OH- from H,0
to the polysaccharides and thereby separate the monosac-
charides from each other.The two monosaccha-
rides then combine with each other at these sites of remov-
al, and the Ht and OH - then combine to form water (H,O).When carbohydrates are digested, this process is
reversed, and the carbohydrates are converted into mono-
saccharides.This phenomenon
means that a hydrogen ion (H+) has been removed from
one of the monosaccharides, and a hydroxyl ion (OH-) has
been removed from the next one.