Do you think we, human beings, are able to digest the cellulose present in our foods?

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Solution

Part 1: Cellulose

Cellulose is a complex polysaccharide made of glucose subunits linked together by β-glycosidic bonds. It forms the main component of the cell wall of plants.

Ruminants and certain insects (termites) contain specialised bacteria in a part of their gut (rumen) that secrete cellulase helping in the digestion of cellulose.

Part 2: Absence of cellulase
The human digestive tract does not contain cellulose-digesting bacteria. Therefore, cellulose is the main component of indigestible fibre or roughage for humans.

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Q. Cattle are able to digest cellulose which humans cannot because cattle have

Question 12
Cellulose-rich food substances are good source of roughage in human beings because

(a) Human beings do not have cellulose-digesting enzymes
(b) Cellulose gets absorbed in the human blood and converts into fibres.
(c) The cellulose-digesting bacteria convert cellulose into fibres.
(d) Cellulose breaks down into smaller components which are egested as roughage.

Q. Humans cannot digest cellulose like cattle do because:

Q. Why are humans unable to digest cellulose?

Why are cattle able to digest cellulose?

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