Sucrose: Reducing vs Non-Reducing Sugars Quiz

Carbohydrates

• Maltose is the major degradative product of starch.
• Sucrose (Cane sugar) is a disaccharide composed of α-D-glucose and α-D-fructose.
• Sucrose is present in various plants.

Disaccharides

• Lactose is a disaccharide of α-D-galactose and α-D-glucose linked by α-(1,4) glycosidic linkage.
• All monosaccharides and common disaccharides, except sucrose, are classified as reducing sugars.
• Sucrose is a non-reducing sugar because the anomeric carbons of its component monosaccharide units are bonded to each other.

Polysaccharides

• Cellulose is the most abundant structural polysaccharide in plants.

Laboratory Tests

• Benedict's reagent is used to test for glucosuria, the presence of excess glucose in the urine.

Diabetes

• Individuals suffering from diabetes mellitus may have glucose levels that lead to glucosuria when it rises above 180 mg/100mL in the blood.

Enzymes

• Humans cannot use cellulose because they lack the enzyme cellulase to hydrolyze the α-(1-4) linkages.

Polymers

• Dextrin is a highly branched homopolymer of glucose units with α-(1, 6), α-(1, 4) and α-(1, 3) linkages.

Glycosaminoglycans

• Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are negatively charged heteropolysaccharides composed of a repeating disaccharide unit.