Glucose is a basic building block of life. This simple sugar is the primary energy source for the human body, and foods such as starches, grains, fruits, sweets and milk contain it. The fermentation of alcohol also requires the use of glucose, as do many industrial applications. The simple molecule of glucose is an important piece of everyday life.
Starches and Grains
Potatoes, beans, pastas, breads and other starches and grains all contain what are referred to as complex carbohydrates. The body is able to break down complex carbohydrates into the simpler form of glucose. Because the body must spend time breaking complex carbohydrates down, the cells do not immediately absorb the glucose in complex carbohydrates.
Fruits, Sweets, Milk
Fruits, dairy and milk all contain simple sugars, such as sucrose, dextrose and fructose, all of which are similar in molecular structure to glucose. Their similarity in structure means that cells will almost immediately convert these molecules into glucose, and absorb them for use as energy. Items such as sweets, which contain large amounts of simple sugars, will sharply rise blood glucose levels, because cells cannot absorb all of the glucose these products contain.
Glucose Products
Many products, such as glucose tablets and glucose sprays, contain dextrose, a molecule nearly identical to glucose. The use of these products will cause a sharp rise in blood glucose levels. These products are especially useful to diabetics, who may experience low blood glucose, also known as hypoglycemia.
Alcohol
Glucose is a necessary piece in the fermentation of alcohol. According to Professor William Boggan, of the Medical University of South Carolina, all "beverage alcohol and much of that used in industry is formed through fermentation of a variety of products including grain such as corn, potato mashes, fruit juices, and beet and cane sugar molasses." Using either the process of fermentation or distillation, the glucose molecules in these products will, over time, transform into ethanol alcohol.
Industry
Corn starch contains glucose, and has many uses in the industrial sector. Corn starch products include pastes for shaping paper, as well as textile applications such as finishing fabrics, printing and finishing sewing threads. Starch products are used as adhesives for corrugated card board and paper bags. Starch also is important in the production of paper.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Carbohydrates
- University of Illinois Extension: Eating for Target Blood Glucose Levels
- EdInformatics: Glucose
- Kennesaw State University: Chemcases.com: Alcohol, Chemistry and You Sources and Uses of Ethyl Alcohol
- Northern Regional Research Laboratory: Industrial Use Of Corn Starch
