Carbohydrates (1)

Question 1

What is amylose

Answer 1

Amylose is what sugar is stored as in plants. Made of alpha glucose monomers with 1-4 glycosidic bond. Tightly packed and soluble

Question 2

Glycosidic bond

Answer 2

Glycosidic bond is bond between two monosaccharides

Question 3

Amylopectin

Answer 3

Amylopectin has alpha glucose 1-4 glycosidic bonds and 1-6 glycosidic bond.

Question 4

Features of amylose

Answer 4

Amylose is polymer of alpha glucose and a form of starch.
Has 1,4 glycosidic bonds
Straight chain but position of glycosidic bonds causes it to twist into a compact helix with H bonds forming between glucose molecules in chain.
This makes amylose a compact molecule

Question 5

Features of amylopectin

Answer 5

Amylopectin is polymer of alpha glucose and form of starch branch
Side branches 1,6
1,4 glycosidic bonds
Since th

Question 6

What happens when glucose is needed and how does the structure of amylopectin help this

Answer 6

When glucose is needed, water enters the cell and breaks glycosidic bonds (hydrolysis reaction) and enzymes break down starch.
Structure of amylopectin helps this because enzymes that break down starch act at the ends of the molecules and because amylopectin has a large number of branches, it has a large number of ends so enzymes can break it down quickly and more energy can be released at once.

Question 7

How does structure of starch relate to its function

Answer 7

Structure of starch relates to its function because
Contains glucose needed for respiration
Amylose is coiled, making it compact so starch can store a large amount of glucose molecules for its size.
Starch is insoluble, so doesn’t exert osmotic effect
Amylopectin is branched so rapidly hydrolysed
Since amylose and amylopectin are both polymers, they are too large to diffuse through cell membranes and leave cells