Biological Molecules: Structure and properties of starch Flashcards
Is glucose soluable in water?
= yes extremly.
= contains lots of hydroxyl groups that can form hydrogen bonds with water molecules.
What problem does glucose have?
= solubility
= if cell contains large amounts of dissolved glucose cause water to move into the cell through osmosis.
How is the solubility problem solved?
= cell stores glucose as starch.
Where do we find starch?
= starch grains.
What are the 2 types of starch?
= Amylase and Amylopectin. ```
What is amylose made from?
= polysaccharide of alpha glucose- 1-4 glycocid bond
What is the structure of amylose?
= twisted compact helix
= hydrogen bonds between the glucose molecules
What happens when the cell needs glucose?
= enyzmes are used
water is used to break the glycidic bonds
= hydrolosis.
What is amylopectin made from?
= polysacharide made from alpha glucose
=joined by 1-4 glycodic bond.
= branches every 25-30 glucose molecules.
How is the branches connected?
= connected to the main chain by a glycocidic bond 1-6.
What is an advantage of starch with it’s structure?
= store large amounts of glucose molecules for it’s size
= insoluable in water
= polymer meaning it is too large to diffuse through the cell membrane and out of the cell
=
The enyzmes that break down the starch act at the ends of the molecules, how does amylopectins structure impact this?
= heavily branched- large ends
= enyzmes can break strach rapidly.
Unlike glucose what is glycogen?
= Insoluable in water
= glycogen cannot diffuse in and out of a cell.
