Questions and Answers
What are carbohydrates primarily composed of?
Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
Which of the following is a function of carbohydrates? (Select all that apply)
Which is the most common hexose sugar?
What type of bond is formed between two monosaccharides?
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What is the process called that forms glycosidic bonds between monosaccharides?
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What are the three main types of polysaccharides?
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Polysaccharides are usually sweet and soluble in water.
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What carbohydrate is primarily used for energy storage in plants?
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What is chitin made of?
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Study Notes
Overview of Carbohydrates
- Carbohydrates are the most abundant biomolecules on Earth, composed of carbon and water.
- Chemical formula is often represented as (CH₂O)n, with n indicating the number of repeating units.
- Named "carbohydrates" due to their structural resemblance to hydrated carbon chains.
- Basic elements include carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; may also contain nitrogen, phosphorus, or sulfur.
Functions of Carbohydrates
- Serve as energy sources, primarily stored as starch in plants and glycogen in animals.
- Key components of DNA and RNA, essential for storing and transmitting genetic information.
- Provide structural strength in forms like cellulose (in plants) and chitin (in insects).
Monosaccharides
- Monosaccharides, or simple sugars, are the simplest form of carbohydrates and act as building blocks for larger carbohydrates.
- Named based on the number of carbon atoms:
- Triose: 3 carbons
- Tetrose: 4 carbons
- Pentose: 5 carbons
- Hexose: 6 carbons
- The most common hexose sugars are D-glucose, galactose (in lactose), and fructose (in fruit).
- Sugars with 4 or more carbon atoms are more stable in ring form, formed by reactions between carbonyl and distant hydroxyl groups.
Disaccharides
- Disaccharides are formed when two monosaccharides bond through a glycosidic bond.
- Glycosidic bonds form via dehydration synthesis, where a water molecule is released.
- Common disaccharides include:
- Maltose: Composed of two glucose molecules (grain sugar).
- Lactose: Composed of one galactose and one glucose molecule (milk sugar).
- Sucrose: Composed of one glucose and one fructose molecule (table sugar).
Polysaccharides
- Polysaccharides (glycans) consist of hundreds of monosaccharide units linked by glycosidic bonds.
- Properties include lack of sweetness, low solubility in water, and complex structures.
- Important polysaccharides include:
- Starch: Energy storage in plants, with branched or unbranched structures.
- Glycogen: Energy storage in animals and bacteria, highly branched.
- Cellulose: Structural component of plant cell walls, consisting of straight chains of glucose.
Modified Glucose
- Components like N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG) and N-acetyl muramic acid (NAM) are found in bacterial cell walls.
- Chitin, made of NAG, is an important structural element found in fungal cell walls and insect exoskeletons.
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Description
This quiz explores the fundamental chemistry and biological functions of carbohydrates. It covers their composition, structural formulas, and roles in nutrition as well as molecular biology. Test your understanding of these vital biomolecules that play a crucial role in life.
