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Multiple Choice
Which of the following components of a tossed salad will pass through the human digestive tract and be digested the least?
A
Sugar (in the dressing)
B
Oil (in the dressing)
C
Starch (in the croutons)
D
Protein (in the bacon bits)
E
Cellulose (in the lettuce)
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the composition of each component listed in the salad: sugar, oil, starch, protein, and cellulose.
Recognize that cellulose is a type of carbohydrate found in the cell walls of plants, such as lettuce.
Recall that humans lack the enzyme cellulase, which is necessary to break down cellulose into glucose units.
Consider that while other components like sugar, oil, starch, and protein can be digested by enzymes in the human digestive system, cellulose cannot be broken down and absorbed.
Conclude that cellulose will pass through the digestive tract largely undigested, as it is not broken down by human digestive enzymes.