Carbohydrates 1 Flashcards
Describe the covalent bond in a disaccharide
Hydroxyl group of one monosaccharide forms a covalent bond with an anomeric carbon of another monosaccharide
What is meant by anomeric?
Carbon 1 of one monosaccharide is the mirror image of the other carbon on the other monosaccharide (this is true I think for a beta glycosidic bond)
Name three important disaccharides
Maltose, lactose and sucrose
What is the direct breakdown product of starch?
Maltose
Why is maltose considered a reducing sugar?
Anomeric Carbon 1 is available for oxidation
Where is sucrose made?
Plants
Is sucrose reducing or non-reducing?
Non-reducing
Homopolysaccharides?
Single monomeric species
What are heteropolysaccharides?
Have two or more monomer species
What are the two different forms of starch?
Amylopectin and Amylose
What proportion of starch is amylose?
20-25%
What proportion of starch is amylopectin?
75-80%
Describe the structure of amylose?
D-glucose units with alpha 1-4 linkage
Describe the structure of amylopectin
Branches occur every 24-30 monomers
Branches linked with alpha 1-6 glycosidic bonds
How many reducing ends does starch have in comparison to the non-reducing ends?
Many non-reducing
Not many reducing