Question

Dietary fibre adds bulk to the intestinal contents and is not digested in the body (Assertion A). The human body does not have enzymes capable of breaking down the fibre constituents (Reason R).

• A. Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
• B. Both (A) and (R) are correct but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
• C. (A) is correct but (R) is not correct
• D. (A) is not correct but (R) is correct

Hint:

Remember that dietary fibre's role in adding bulk to the intestines and its non-digestibility by human enzymes are fundamental concepts in nutrition.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Concept
Dietary fibre refers to the indigestible parts of plant foods that add bulk to the intestinal contents. It includes cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, and other complex carbohydrates that are not broken down by human digestive enzymes.

Step 2: Meaning
Assertion A states that dietary fibre adds bulk to the intestinal contents and is not digested in the body. Reason R asserts that the human body does not have enzymes capable of breaking down the fibre constituents.

Step 3: Analysis
To prove Assertion A correct, we need to understand its components: 1. Dietary fibre indeed adds bulk to the intestines by absorbing water and forming a gel-like substance. 2. It is not digested in the small intestine because human digestive enzymes cannot break down complex plant polysaccharides like cellulose. Reason R correctly identifies that humans lack specific enzymes for breaking down these fibres, which aligns with Assertion A's claim about non-digestibility. Since both assertion and reason are correct and the reason directly explains why the assertion is true, option A is the appropriate choice.

Step 4: Conclusion
The assertion and reason provided are consistent and correctly explain each other. Final Answer: (A)