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Carbohydrates Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a biomolecule and what are their properties?

A
  • A molecule that is produced by living organisms
  • The molecules are essential for various biological processes
  • vary widely in size & structure
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2
Q

What is a polymer?

A

Large macromolecules made up of smaller molecules called monomers.

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3
Q

How is a polymer formed?

A

By dehydration which binds the smaller molecules together called monomers.

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4
Q

How is a polymer broken down.

A

During a hydrolysis reaction in which monomers are released from the polymers.

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5
Q

What are the most abundant molecules in nature?

A

Carbohydrates

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6
Q

What is the empirical formula for many of the simple carbohydrates?

A

(CH2O)n

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7
Q

What are the various functions of carbohydrates?

A
  • dietary requirements
  • storage form of energy
  • component of cell membrane
  • structural components of many organisms.
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8
Q

How are carbohydrates classified?

A

Based on the number of sugars

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9
Q

What are the 4 groups that carbohydrates can be classified into?

A
  • monosaccharides
  • disaccharides
  • oligosaccharides
  • polysaccharides
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10
Q

What is a monosaccharide made up of and give examples?

A

1 saccharide
- glucose
-fructose

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11
Q

What is a disaccharide made up of and give examples?

A

2 monosaccharides
- sucrose
- maltose
- lactose

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12
Q

What is a oligosaccharide made up of and give examples?

A

3-10 monosaccharides
- raffinose
- maltoriose
- oligofructose

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13
Q

What is a polysaccharide made up of and give examples?

A

> 10 monosaccharides
- starch-linear
- dextrin-branched

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14
Q

Which carbohydrates are always structurally linear

A

Monosaccharides, disaccharides and oligosaccharides

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15
Q

How are monosaccharides classified?

A

Based on number of carbon atoms

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16
Q

What are the 4 groups that monosaccharides can be classified into?

A
  • trioses
  • tetroses
  • pentoses
  • hexoses
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17
Q

What are trioses made up of and give examples?

A

3 carbon atoms
- glyceraldehyde
- dihydroxyacetone

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18
Q

What are tetroses made up of and give examples?

A

4 carbon atoms
- erythrose
- erythrulose

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19
Q

What are pentoses made up of and give examples?

A

5 carbon atoms
- ribose
- ribulose

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20
Q

What are hexoses made up of and give examples?

A

6 carbon atoms
- glucose
- fructose

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21
Q

What else can monosaccharides be classified based on?

A

Functional groups. They can have an aldehyde functional group (aldoses) or a ketone functional group (ketoses)

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22
Q

Name the 2 monosaccharide structural isomers of C6H12O6 where one is an aldehyde and the other is a ketone?

A

Glucose contains an aldehyde functional group
Fructose contains a ketone functional group

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23
Q

Name and give the formula of the monosaccharide that is an aldose and a triose?

A

Glyceraldehyde
C3H6O3

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24
Q

Name and give the formula of the monosaccharide that is a ketose and also a triose

A

dihydroxyacetone
C3H6O3

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25
Name and give the formula of the monosaccharide that is an aldose and also a tetrose
erythrose C4H8O4
26
Name and give the formula of the monosaccharide that is a ketose and also a tetrose
erythrulose C4H8O4
27
Name and give the formula of the monosaccharide that is an aldose and also a pentose
ribose C5H10O5
28
Name and give the formula of the monosaccharide that is a ketose and also a pentose
ribulose C5H10O5
29
Name and give the formula of the 2 monosaccharides that are aldoses and also hexoses
Glucose and galactose Both have C6H12O6
30
Name and give the formula of the monosaccharide that is a ketose and also a hexose
fructose C6H12O6
31
What is the difference between glucose and galactose?
The difference is the -OH switch In glucose the -OH group on C5 is on the right In galactose the -OH group on C5 is on the left
32
Fructose contains a =O group and glucose contains an -OH group, what does this difference in functional groups cause.
It causes fructose to taste different to glucose
33
How are the carbons on monosaccharides numbered?
Starting at the end that contains the carbonyl group (aldehyde or ketone)
34
What are isomers and give examples?
Compounds that have the same chemical formula but different structures. e.g. glucose, galactose and fructose have the same formula of C6H16O6 but have different structures
35
Where is glucose found?
In large starch based molecules e.g. sugarcane
36
Where is galactose found?
In milk
37
Where is fructose found?
In fruit
38
What are the 2 formations that monosaccharides can exist in?
- open chain - rings
39
How many monosaccharides exist in the open chain formation?
Less that 1%
40
What happens when glucose forms a ring formation?
The C=O double bond is lost which then allows the hydrogen from C5 to bind to the O on C1
41
What is the difference between alpha and beta glucose
-OH switch in alpha OH on top in beta OH on bottom
42
What happens when fructose forms a ring formation?
The C=O double bond is lost which then allows the hydrogen from C5 to bind to the O on C2
43
What happens during the polymerisation of monosaccharides?
Monosaccharides can join to form di-, oligo-, or polysaccharides Glycosidic bonds are formed between the monosaccharides (catalysed by glycotransferases) Water molecule released
44
How strong is a glycosidic bond?
- Stronger than a H-bond - not the strongest bond - fairly easy to break - but holds shape and structure well
45
How to name a glycosidic bond?
- If the anomeric hydroxyl is in the a-configuration, the linkage is an a-bond. If it is in the b-configuration, the linkage is the b-bond. - must write the numbers of the 2 carbons joining together in bracket in the middle of the name
46
What do 2 glucose molecules join together to form?
maltose
47
what does a-glucose and b-fructose join together to form?
sucrose
48
Name 3 common disaccharides?
lactose maltose sucrose
49
What is lactose made up of?
b-galactose and a-glucose
50
What is the glycosidic bond in lactose?
b(1-4)
51
What is maltose and product of and what is it used in?
- product of starch hydrolysis - used in beer production
52
What is maltose made up of?
- a-glucose and a-glucose
53
What is the glycosidic bond in maltose?
a(1-4)
54
Importance of sucrose
major transport form of sugar in plants used as common table sugar
55
What is sucrose made up of
a-glucose and b-fructose
56
What is the glycosidic bond in sucrose?
(1-2)
57
Explain how monosaccharides are reducing sugars?
- if the hydroxyl group on the anomeric carbon is not linked to another compound then the ring can open - means the sugar can act as a reducing agent and is termed a reducing sugar - so all monosaccharides are reducing sugars
58
How do aldehydes affect reducing sugars?
- The presence of an aldehyde group in a monosaccharide can make them undergo oxidation readily to form a carboxylic acid and during the process the reactive agents are reduced easily - During this the aldehyde is oxidised to form a carboxylic acid (C-H bond broken and forms C-O) - The oxidant is reduced by the aldehyde so the aldehyde is the reducing agent
59
Properties of glucose
- Main sugar in the human body - Important energy source in all cells ---> cannot be stored in this form (affects osmotic balance) - Glucose is stored in large polymers (glycogen) which are osmotically inactive - produces ribose which is used in nucleotides and nucleic acids - forms glycoproteins, glycolipids and lipids - present in plasma membrane
60
Properties of starch
- Its a polymer of glucose - the main storage form of glucose - found in plants - comprised from two long polysaccharides of glucose called amylose and amylopectin
61
Properties of amylose
- a-helix structure - accounts for ~20% of total starch - linear - 1 non reducing end - 1 reducing end - helical
62
Properties of amylopectin
- branched structure - accounts for ~80% of total starch - many non-reducing ends - 1 reducing end
63
What is the glycosidic bond in amylose?
a 1-4 glycosidic bond
64
What are the glycosidic bonds in amylopectin?
a 1-6 glycosidic bonds and a 1-4 glycosidic bonds
65
Differences between amylose and amylopectin
- Amylose is longer than amylopectin so more of it can be stored & for much longer than amylopectin - Amylopectin doesn't store very nicely - Amylopectin is there for everyday use but amylose can be stored and used for a long time
66
Function of amylose
highly compact molecule for efficient storage
67
Function of amylopectin
easy access for enzyme digestion which results in increased glucose release for respiration
68
Properties of cellulose
- structural carbohydrate found in plant cell walls - most abundant organic molecule on earth - commonly referred to as fibre & is largely indigestible (mammals lack cellulase) - made up of chains of b-glucose joined by b 1-4 glucosidic bonds - For C1 and C4 to react, one glucose molecule needs to flip 180 degrees and this difference makes cellulose so strong - contains H bonds holding it together - 70 chains of b-glucose combine to form a microfibril - lots of microfibrils are held together to form fibres
69
Properties of glycogen
- storage form of glucose in animals (mainly in muscle & liver cells) - same subunits as amylopectin but much more branched - stored as granules in cytoplasm of cells - can be quickly hydrolysed when energy supply needed

Biological Sciences (2 decks)

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