Unit 2 - Module 1 - Carbohydrates Flashcards
(32 cards)
What percentage do they make up in a cell?
10%
What are the functions?
Energy source - released from glucose during respiration
Energy store - e.g. starch
Structure - e.g. cellulose
What is the general formula?
Cn(H2O)n
What are the similar properties of monosaccharides?
Soluble in water
Sweet tasting
Form crystals
What are 3-carbon monosaccharides called?
Triose sugars
What are 5 carbon monosaccharides called?
Pentose sugars
What are 6-carbon monosaccharides called?
Hexose sugars
What are the two forms of glucose in the ring structure?
Alpha-glucose: H is above C1 and OH is below.
Beta-glucose: H is below C1 and OH is above.
What is the name of the bond that forms between two monosaccharides?
Glycosidic bond
What type of glucose can animals and plants break down? Why?
Alpha- glucose. They don’t have the enzyme that is complementary to beta-glucose.
How can glucose be used in respiration?
It is broken down into smaller molecules, which releases energy which can be used to make ATP. Beta-glucose cannot be respired, as no enzymes.
What disaccharide is formed from two alpha-glucose molecules?
Maltose
What is formed when many alpha-glucose molecules are joined together?
Amylose
What is the specific name of the bond in amylose?
1,4-glycosidic bond
What do long chains of amylose form? Why?
They coil into a spring because of the shape of the glucose and the formation of the glycosidic bonds.
What is the basis of the starch test?
Iodine molecules can become trapped in the coils of the spring. This cause the iodine to change colour from yellow/brown to blue-black.
What is starch used for?
It is the energy-storage polysaccharide in plants.
What does starch consist of?
A mixture of long, straight-chain amylose molecules and pranced amylopectin.
Where is starch stored?
In chloroplasts and elsewhere in the plant in membrane bound starch grains. Cells of storage organs contain a lot of starch grains.
Why is starch important?
It can be stored as it insoluble.
Can be broken down to glucose molecules, why may then be respired.
What is glycogen?
It the energy-storage polysaccharide in animals.
How does glycogen differ from starch?
The 1-4 linked glucose chains tend to be shorter and have many more branches.
What does the short chains and branching in glycogen mean?
It is more compact than starch, and forms glycogen granules - especially in live and muscle cells.
Why is it important that energy storgae molecules are insoluble?
So they don’t affect water potential of cell. This is vital in plants and animals.