Carbohydrates

• Macromolecules

  a large complex molecule made up of covalently linked smaller repeating units of molecules

  
• Polymer


  a repeating unit of monomers

  
• Monomer


  the smallest repeating molecule that makes up a polymer

  
• Carbohydrate


  a compound made out of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio

  
• What is the general formula of a carbohydrate?

  (CH2O)n, n representing the amount of carbon atoms

  
• What are carbohydrates made of?

  simple sugars and starches with hydroxyl and sometimes carbonyl groups, making them polar
• What is a monosaccharide? Give an example.

  a carbohydrate molecule containing 3-7 carbon atoms (glucose, galactose, etc.)

  
• What is an isomer?

  a molecule with the same molecular formula but different structural formula
• What is a disaccharide? Give an example.

  a carbohydrate molecule made of two monosaccharides covalently bonded (sucrose, lactose, etc.)

  
• How do disaccharides form?

  monosaccharides are joined through a dehydration synthesis reaction when the hydroxides link through beta or alpha glycosidic linkages

  
• What are polysaccharides? Give an example

  carbohydrate molecules composed of more than 2 monosaccharides covalently linked (starch, cellulose, glycogen)

  
• Do all polysaccharides have the same function?

  No, due to having varying structures, they have different functions and glucose can bond different ways.
• How do organisms store polysaccharides?

  Plants store it as starch, humans store it as glycogen
• Why is glycogen easier to break down compared to starch?

  due to its branching, it allows to be broken down easier for energy compared to starch
• What does cellulose do?

  It provides structure in a plant's cell wall, and is indigestible to humans due to the isomers of glucose forming different links
• What polysaccharides are made of alpha glucose?

  Starch and glycogen
• What polysaccharides are made of beta glucose?

  Cellulose