Biology 12 Note Outline- Carbohydrates

Key
Basic Description of Carbohydrates

 Carbohydrates atoms of the following elements

o Carbon
o Hydrogen
o Oxygen

 They are organic molecules because they contain

o Carbon
o Hydrogen

 They get their name “hydrates of carbon” because….

o The ratio of hydrogen to oxygen is 2:1 as it is in water

Types of Carbohydrates- Their Structure and Functions

 There are three forms of carbohydrates

o Monosaccharides
o Disaccharides
o Polysaccharides

Monosaccharide Structure

o Monosaccharides are also known as simple sugars

o They consist of one sugar unit
o The carbon atoms may be arranged linearly or they may form a ring
structure

o A monosaccharide which has three carbon atoms is called a triose

sugar

Example- glyceraldehyde
 o A monosaccharide which has five carbon atoms is called a pentose
sugar

Example- ribose

o A monosaccharide which has six carbon atoms is called a hexose

sugar

Example- glucose

o Glucose is the most common monosaccharide and it has the molecular

formula C6H12O6

Functions of Monosaccharides

o Monosaccharides such as glucose are the primary energy source for

cells

o Monosaccharides such as ribose and deoxyribose are structural

components of RNA and DNA

Disaccharide Structure

o Disaccharides are formed when two monosaccharides are linked

together
 o This process is called dehydration synthesis (or condensation
synthesis)
o During this process a water molecule is released

o The type of disaccharide produced depends on the types of

monosaccharides linked together

Disaccharide = Monosaccharide + Monosaccharide

Maltose glucose glucose

Sucrose glucose fructose

Lactose glucose galactose

o Just as dissacharides can be formed by releasing a water

molecule, they can be broken down by adding a water molecule

o The process of breaking apart a sugar by adding a water molecule

is called hydrolysis
Functions of Disaccharides

o Since disaccharides consist of two linked monosaccharides, they

often serve as forms of energy storage

o Disaccharides are also the form in which carbohydrates are

transported throughout plants

Polysaccharide Structure

o Polysaccharides are formed when many monosaccharides are

linked together
o Polysaccharides are formed by many condensation synthesis
reactions
o During this process, many water molecules are released

o Polysaccharides consist of many repeating units or monomers and

can therefore be described as polymers

o The three most common polysaccharides are:

 Starch
 Glycogen
 Cellulose

o These are all polymers of glucose

Starch:
o Starch is a fairly straight chain glucose polymer
o It may have a few side chains
o Starch is found in plants
o Function Starch is the major form in which the monosaccharide
glucose is stored in plants
Glycogen
o Glycogen is a highly branched polymer of glucose
o Glycogen is found in animals
o FunctionGlycogen is the major form in which the monosaccharide
glucose is stored in animals

Cellulose
o Cellulose is a straight chain polymer of glucose
o Cellulose is found in plant cell walls
o The linkage between glucose monomers is slightly different than in
starch and glycogen
o Due to the types of bonds holding cellulose together, humans are
unable to digest cellulose and it passes through our digestive tract
o FunctionCellulose is the major structural component of plant cell
walls
The following diagram compares the structure of the three main types of
polysaccharides starch, glycogen and cellulose
Questions: - use the above information and page ________of your text.

1. Define the following:

a. Monosachharide

b. Disaccharide

c. Polysaccharide

2. Explain how disaccharides and polysaccharides are different from

monosaccharides.

3. Complete the following table for monosaccharides

Name Type of Sugar Number of Function

Carbons
Glucose

Ribose

Deoxyribose

4. Complete the following table for disaccharides

Name Monosaccharide Function

components
Sucrose

Maltose

Lactose
 5. Complete the following table for polysaccharides

Name Monomer Structure Source Function

Starch

Glycogen

Cellulose

6. When the enzyme sucrase digests sucrose:

a. Name and describe the process by which the chemical bond
between the monosaccharides is broken

b. Name the products of the reaction

7. Investigation Question- Describe the relationship between starch and

glycogen in the human body. How is blood glucose concentration
maintained?