Carbohydrates Flashcards
(26 cards)
What are polysaccharides?
Polysaccharides consist of ten to thousands of monosaccharide units.
Give an example of a polysaccharide found in animals.
Glycogen
What distinguishes glycogen from starch?
Glycogen is more branched compared to starch.
What is chitin made from?
A long chain of a glucose derivative.
What is an oligosaccharide?
A polysaccharide with less than 10 units of monosaccharides.
Name a common oligosaccharide found in many plants.
Raffinose
What is the primary function of carbohydrates in organisms?
To provide energy.
How do organisms store energy in carbohydrates?
As starch and glycogen.
Which carbohydrate is used by plants for energy storage?
Starch
Which carbohydrate is used by animals for energy storage?
Glycogen
What role do carbohydrates play in structural support?
They provide coatings to cells or braces for the body.
Where is cellulose found?
In the cell walls of plants.
Where is chitin found?
In the exoskeletons of arthropods.
What is the general formula for simple sugars or monosaccharides?
C_nH_{2n}O_n
What are simple sugars also known as?
Monosaccharides
What defines complex sugars?
They are made up of long chains of simple sugars.
What are carbohydrates that consist of two monosaccharides called?
Disaccharides
What are carbohydrates that consist of three to ten monosaccharides called?
Oligosaccharides
What functional groups do carbohydrates contain?
Ketone or aldehyde groups and many hydroxyl groups.
What does chirality in carbohydrates refer to?
The existence of dextrorotatory or levorotatory forms.
What are the two types of monosaccharides based on functional groups?
Aldoses and ketoses.
How can monosaccharides be classified based on the number of carbons?
Using prefixes tri-, tetra-, penta-, etc.
What are isomers?
Molecules with the same molecular formulas but different structures.
Provide an example of two isomeric monosaccharides.
Arabinose and ribose.
