How do starches have glucose? page

[campanella]

This is definitely a layman's question and I don't really think this is the right section. However, if for example potatoes are starches, and starches are polysaccharides, how do they contain glucose which is a monosaccharide?

[Neckhammer]

Poly means many....mono means one. So starch is basically many glucose put together.

[campanella]

Thanks, that clears up a lot.

[JamesS]

Yes, polysaccharides are long chain sugar molecules. Chains can vary in length such as inulin and oligosaccharides which are shorter than cellulose. Starches are even shorter chains than inulin and oligosaccharides. The starch is broken down by the enzyme amylase in to monosaccharides. This is also why amylase inhibitors are used in some diet or diabetes formulas to prevent the breakdown of starches in to simple sugars. If the starches do not get broken down in to monosaccharides they do not add calories or raise blood sugar.

[BennettC]

They end up in the blood as glucose