carbohydrates - monosaccharides Flashcards
(23 cards)
what does the term monomer mean
a monomer is a smaller unit which makes up large molecules
what does the term dimer mean
when 2 monomers of a molecule interact with each other
what does the term polymer mean
polymers are molecules made from a large number of monomers joined together in a chain
what is the difference between a structural and a molecular formula
a structural formula shows the arrangement of the molecules whereas the molecular formula only shows the number of atoms of each element
what is an isomer
an isomer is a molecule that has the same molecular formula but different structural arrangement of their atoms
what is the general term for a single sugar unit
monosaccharide
how many carbons does a triose sugar have
3 carbons
how many carbons does a pentose sugar have
5 carbons
how many carbons does a hexose sugar have
6 carbons
what is the general formula for a monosaccharide
(CH2O)n
name a triose sugar
glyceraldehyde
name 2 pentose sugar
ribose and deoxyribose
name 3 hexose sugar
glucose, fructose and galactose
name 2 molecules that contain ribose
RNA - ribonucleic acid and ATP - adenosine triphosphate
name a molecule that contains deoxyribose
DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid
what’s the function of triose sugar
triose sugar is important in metabolism. Triose sugars are in the reactions of respiration and photosynthesis
what’s the function of a pentose sugar
Pentose sugars are a constituent of nucleotides e.g DNA, RNA, ATP and ADP
what’s the function of a hexose sugar
hexose sugars are an important source of energy in humans. Glucose is a hexose sugar and is a source of energy in respiration
How is glucose a source of energy
as the carbon-hydrogen and carbon-carbon bonds are broken to release energy, which is transferred to adenosine triphosphate ATP
why are glucose, galactose and fructose described as isomers of each other
as they share the same chemical formula but have different structural arrangements of their atoms
what are monosaccharides
small organic molecules which is a single sugar unit and are the building blocks for the larger carbohydrates
what happens to the shape of the carbon atoms of monosaccharides when dissolved in water
carbon atoms of monosaccharides make a ring when the sugar is dissolved in water and can alter their bindings to make a straight chain
summaries the functions of monosaccharides
-a source of energy is respiration
-building blocks for larger molecules
-intermediates in reactions
-constituents of nucleotides
