Answer:
The best answer for the question: These data indicate a defect in which of the following? when talking about a patient who is able to absorb disaccharides, like maltose, fructose and lactose, but not complex polysaccharides, like starch, would be, D: Pancreatic enzyme secretion.
Explanation:
The importance of the pancreas for human nutrition, cannot be stated enough. It is this organ that is responsible for the secretion of the majority of the enzymes responsible for breaking apart the molecular unions of complex nutrients, such as starchs, fats, and proteins, to reduce them to their more basic units, so the body can absorb them and use them. If these pancreatic enzymes are either absent, or faulty, then complex nutrients cannot be broken down, regardless of what other enzymes might be working properly after. If the main chemical bonds of the molecules cannot be undone, then other enzymes cannot do their own work. Panceatic amylase is central for starch break up into smaller mono and disaccharide units, and from there, brush border enzymes in the small intestine take over to further break these into basic units that will be absorbed. In the case of this patient, amylase is probably absent, or is faulty, which is why he cannot absorb glucose from starch, but he can if he eats simpler foods with more basic sugars. This is why the answer is D.
