carbon: carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates:

  • simple carbs: monosaccharides/simple sugars (monomers)
  • disaccharide: 2 monosaccharides joined via covalent bond (glycosidic linkage)
  • polysaccharides (macro): polymer composed of many monomers jonied together via dehydration rxn
• sugars:

  • most common monosaccharide: glucose (C6H12O6) [1 carbonyl + many hydroxyl groups]
  • most common disaccharide: sucrose (monomers: glucose and fructose)
  • carbon skeleton of monosaccharide ranges from 3 to 7 Carbons long
• carb functions:

  • monosaccharides (glucose) provide nutrients
  • carbon skeletons serve as material for sythesis of organic molecules like amino acids
• polysaccharides:

  • macromolecules
  • polymers made of a bunch of monosaccharides joined together via glycosidic linkages
  • function: stores material, occasional hydrolysis if energy needed, building material for protection
  • function determined by monomers and glycosidic linkage position
• storage polys:

  • plants store starch (polymer made of alpha glucose monomers)
  • synthesized starch = surplus of glucose
  • most of glucose monomers joined by 1-4 linkages
  • simple starch: amylose (unbranched)
  • complex starch: amylopectin (branched with 1-6 linkages)
  • animals store glycogen (polymer made of glucose monomers)
  • glycogen more branched than amylopectin
• structural polys:

  • cellulose: polymer of beta glucose with 1-4 glycosidic linkages / not branched / hydroxyl groups make Hbonds with other parallel hydroxyl groups
  • chitin: carb used by arthropods to build exoskeleton / glucose monomer has nitrogen-containing attachment