Carbohydrates

• What is the size order of carbohydrates?

  Monosaccharides < disaccharides < polysaccharides
• What are the characteristics of monosaccharides?


  Soluble and sweet tasting
• How many sugars are in monosaccharides?


  One - "mono"
• What are monosaccharides in terms of their biological functions?


  They are energy sources and monomer building blocks that join together to make more complex carbohydrates
• What are 4 examples of monosaccharides?


  Glucose, ribose (+deoxyribose), galactose, fructose
• What are disaccharides made from?


  Two monosaccharides.
• What are the characteristics of disaccharides?


  Soluble and Sweet-tasting
• What are three examples of disaccharides?


  Sucrose, lactose, maltose
• What component monosaccharides is maltose made from?


  a-glucose and a-glucose
• What is the role of maltose?


  Energy source in germinating seeds
• What are the component monosaccharides of sucrose?


  a-glucose and fructose.
• What is a role of sucrose?


  Transport in the phloem
• What are the components that make up lactose?


  galactose and a-glucose
• What is a role of lactose?


  Energy source in milk
• What are polysaccharides made from?


  Consist of monomer units linked by glycosidic bonds
• What are the characteristics of polysaccharides?


  Insoluble and not sweet
• What are three examples of polysaccharide?


  Starch, glycogen, cellulose
• What does a-glucose polymerise to make?


  Starch and glycogen
• What elements do carbohydrates contain?

  Carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O)
• What is the typical ratio of elements in carbohydrates?

  • Typically C_x(H₂O)_x
• How can you identify the name of a carbohydrate?

  Most names end in “-ose”
• What are the three main roles of carbohydrates in organisms?

  1. Energy source for respiration (e.g., glucose)
  2. Energy storage (e.g., starch, glycogen)
  3. Structural role (e.g., cellulose, chitin)
• What is a monosaccharide?

  The simplest form of carbohydrates
• Provide examples of monosaccharides.

  Glucose, fructose, ribose
• What is a disaccharide?

  Sugars made of two monosaccharides
• Provide examples of disaccharides.

  Sucrose, lactose, maltose
• What is a polysaccharide?

  Complex carbohydrates of long chains of monosaccharides
• Provide examples of polysaccharides.

  Cellulose, starch, glycogen
• Which carbohydrates act as energy stores in organisms?

  Starch in plants and glycogen in animals
• What structural role do carbohydrates play in organisms?

  Cellulose forms plant cell walls
• What is ribose, and why is it important?

  A monosaccharide with five carbon atoms
• How are carbon atoms numbered in monosaccharides like ribose?

  Numbering starts from the oxygen atom in the ring
• What is the significance of ribose in biology?

  It is a monomer that makes up RNA
• What type of sugar is glucose, and how many carbon atoms does it have?

  Hexose sugar with six carbon atoms
• How can glucose be represented structurally?

  In chain form or ring form
• How is glucose adapted to its function as an energy source?

  It is soluble, small, and readily respired
• What are the two isomers of glucose?

  • Alpha-glucose: -OH on opposite side of C6
  • Beta-glucose: -OH on same side as C6
• What polymers are formed by alpha-glucose and beta-glucose?

  Alpha-glucose forms starch or glycogen
• Why is the arrangement of the -OH group on C1 in glucose important?

  It determines whether glucose is alpha or beta
• What is the chemical formula of glucose?

  C₆H₁₂O₆