Carbohydrates

AP Biology
 CH2OH

H O
H
H
OH H
HO OH

H OH

Carbohydrates
energy
molecules

AP Biology 2006-2007
 Carbohydrates
 Carbohydrates are composed of C, H, O
carbo - hydr - ate
CH2O
(CH
(CH2O)
O)x CCH6H12OO6
2 x 6 12 6

 Function:
 energy  energy storage
 raw materials structural materials

 Monomer: sugars
 ex: sugars, starches, cellulose
AP Biology sugar sugar sugar sugar sugar sugar sugar sugar
 Sugars
 Most names for sugars end in -ose
 Classified by number of carbons
 6C = hexose (glucose)
 5C = pentose (ribose)

 3C = triose (glyceraldehyde) H O
CH2OH CH2OH C

H O O H H C OH
H
H
OH 6H H 5 HO 3OH
HO OH HO H H C

H OH OH H H
AP Biology Glucose Ribose Glyceraldehyde
 Functional groups determine function

carbonyl

aldehyde

carbonyl
ketone

AP Biology
 Sugar structure
5C & 6C sugars form rings in solution

Where do
you find solutions
in biology?
In cells!
AP Biology
Carbons are numbered
 Numbered carbons
C 6'
5' C O

4' C C1'
energy stored in C-C bonds
C3' C2'
AP Biology
 CH2OH

Simple & complex sugars H O

H
H
 Monosaccharides HO
OH H
OH
 simple 1 monomer sugars H OH
 glucose
Glucose
 Disaccharides
 2 monomers
 sucrose

 Polysaccharides
 large polymers
 starch QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

AP Biology
 Building sugars
 Dehydration synthesis
monosaccharides disaccharide

H2O
| | |
glucose glucose maltose
glycosidic linkage

monosaccharide + monosaccharide disaccharide + H2O

AP Biology
 Building sugars
 Dehydration synthesis
monosaccharides disaccharide

H2O
| | |
glucose fructose sucrose
(table sugar)

AP Biology
Hydrolysis-reaction.jpg

Breaking down sugars

 Hydrolysis reaction

disaccharide + H2O monosaccharide + monosaccharide

AP Biology
 Polysaccharides
 Polymers of sugars
 costs little energy to build
 easily reversible = release energy

 Function:
 energy storage QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

 starch (plants)
 glycogen (animals)
 in liver & muscles
structure
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor


are needed to see this picture.

 cellulose (plants)
 chitin (arthropods & fungi)
AP Biology
 Linear vs. branched polysaccharides
slow release

starch
(plant)

What does
energy branching do?
storage

glycogen
(animal)

fast
AP Biology release
 Polysaccharide diversity
 Molecular structure determines function
in starch in cellulose

 isomers of glucose
 structure determines function…
AP Biology
 Digesting starch vs. cellulose

starch
easy to
digest enzyme

cellulose
hard to
digest
enzyme

AP Biology
 Cellulose
 Most abundant organic
compound on Earth
 herbivores have evolved a mechanism to
digest cellulose
 most carnivores have not

 that’s why they

eat meat to get
their energy &
nutrients
 cellulose = undigestible roughage
But it tastes
like hay!
Who can live
AP Biology on this stuff?!
 Cow
can digest cellulose well;
no need to eat other sugars

Gorilla
can’t digest cellulose well;
must add another sugar
source, like fruit to diet

Regents Biology
 Helpful bacteria
 How can herbivores digest cellulose so well?
 BACTERIA live in their digestive systems & help digest
cellulose-rich (grass) meals

Caprophage

Tell Ime about

eat QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

the rabbits,
Ruminants
Regents Biology
WHAT
again, !
George!