Disaccharides

Structures and Functions

Our focus in
this slide set
Disaccharides This is where
you are writing
in your notes
Two monosaccharide units that are joined by a carbon–
oxygen-carbon linkage known as a glycosidic bond. It’s a
covalent bond.

Find and highlight the

glycosidic bond in
your notes
Disaccharides
This is where
Formed through a condensation reaction between two you are writing
in your notes
monosaccharides.

Two molecules
combine to form a Annotate the diagram
single molecule with in your notes to show
the loss of water. the condensation
reaction
Disaccharides (just read)
The disaccharides differ from one
another in their monosaccharide
constituents and in the specific
location and direction of the bond
connecting them.

𝛼 (alpha) bonds face “down”

β (beta) bonds face “up”

Disaccharides (just read)
There are three common disaccharides: maltose,
lactose, and sucrose.

All three are white crystalline solids at room

temperature and are soluble in water.
Disaccharide Solute

Water Dissolves to form a solution

Maltose
Structure
Two glucose units in maltose joined in a head-to-tail fashion through a bond between
carbon 1 of one glucose molecule to carbon 4 of the second glucose molecule (called a 1,4
linkage). The bond is oriented down (𝛼) from carbon 1 and 4.

Carbon 1 Carbon 4
Carbon 1 Carbon 4
 Draw the structure of maltose
Maltose into your notes. This is the one
disaccharide whose structure
you should recognize.
Maltose
Function
Maltose is primarily used as an intermediate molecule in the formation and/or digestion of the
larger polysaccharides starch and glycogen.

Maltose is found in sprouting grains. Maltose is formed during digestion by the

hydrolysis (breaking apart) of the polysaccharides
starch and glycogen.
A grain is a small, hard, dry seed.
Sprouting is the process by which seeds
germinate to begin growing into a plant.
 Sucrose
Structure
α-1,β-2 glycosidic bond between glucose and fructose.

An upward
facing bond
off of carbon
2 of fructose
A downward
facing bond
off of carbon
1 of glucose
Sucrose
Function
Sucrose is known simply as sugar.
Sucrose is produced by many plants
(usually in roots, fruits and nectars)
because it serves as a way to store
energy. Many mammals, birds, insects
and bacteria feed on the sucrose in plants
and for some it is their main food source.
(just read)
Most of the sucrose sold commercially is obtained from sugar cane and sugar
beets (whose juices are 14%–20% sucrose). Sugar mills crush the cane/beets and
produce raw sugar which is shipped to other factories for refining into pure
sucrose. The sugar refining process involves washing the raw sugar crystals
before dissolving them into a sugar syrup which is filtered and then passed over
carbon to remove any residual colour. The sugar syrup is then concentrated by
boiling under a vacuum and crystallized as the final purification process to
produce crystals of pure sucrose that are clear, odorless, and sweet.
 Lactose
Structure
β-1,4 glycosidic bond between galactose and glucose.

An upwards
glucose
facing bond
between carbons
1 and 4
galactose
Lactose
Function
Lactose is known as milk
sugar because it
occurs in the milk of
mammals. In fact, the
natural synthesis of
lactose occurs only in
mammary tissue.
(just read)
The human body must digest any disaccharides that have been eaten. Digestion of
disaccharides is the hydrolysis of it into its two constituent monosaccharide units. In the body,
such hydrolysis reactions are catalyzed by enzymes such as maltase, sucrase and lactase.
(just read)
Many adults and some children
suffer from a deficiency of
lactase. These individuals are
said to be lactose intolerant
because they cannot digest the
lactose found in milk.