CARBOHYDRATES - KEY NOTES

Contain Elements: Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. Biological Importance Energy Source Structural Compounds Storage Compounds

Carbohydrates are principal respiratory substrates Cellulose (CW of all plant cells) & Lignin Plants, Starch (common plant storage never in animals) Animals. Glycogen (e.g. mammalian liver)

CLASSIFICATION: The basic sugar unit = the saccharide 1 sugar unit = Monosaccaride 2 sugar units = Disaccharide Many sugar units = Polysaccharide

MONOSACCHARIDES Examples of Monosaccharides: Glucose, Ribose General There are the building blocks of other important C/Hs Monosaccharides are: Sweet tasting Soluble in water Reducing sugars (see below)

Reducing Sugar Properties (all monosaccharides are reducing sugars). M/S are capable of REDUCING benedicts solution. When this reduction occurs benedicts solution changes from blue to orange/red.

DISACCHARIDES Examples of D/S: Maltose (Malt sugar), Lactose (milk sugar) Maltose formed by CONDENSATION of 2 units of glucose, the bond is called a glycosidic bond. Note: In the exam you could be given half of the reaction below and asked to fill in the other half - you wouldn't be asked to come up with it all off the top of your head 2 molecules of glucose

Undergo a condensation reaction to form

+ H2O Maltose and Water General Summary of disaccharides May be non-reducing Sweet tasting Water soluble

POLYSACCHARIDES Examples of P/S: Starch, Glycogen, Cellulose These are an important group of carbohydrates. Two main divisions: Structural Polysaccharides e.g. Cellulose, Chitin, Lignin (wood) Storage Polysaccharides e.g. Starch and Glycogen

General Properties of P/S Non sweet tasting Non truly soluble in H2O

Structural P/S In these polysaccharides the sugar unit residues present in long chain molecules of the polymer are straight, and cross-linkages between chains occur giving the material its strength. back home