Carbohydrates 1: Simple Sugars

Question 1

What are the monomers (basic units) of carbohydrates called?

Answer 1

Monosaccharides

Question 2

What is the general name for two monosaccharides joined by a glycosidic bond?

Answer 2

A disaccharide

Question 3

What is a polysaccharide?

Answer 3

A chain of monosaccharides joined by glycosidic bonds

Question 4

Are monosaccharides soluble in water?

Answer 4

Yes

Question 5

What is a pentose monosaccharide? Give two examples.

Answer 5

A monosaccharide with 5 carbons in the molecule. Examples are ribose (in RNA) and deoxyribose (in DNA).

Question 6

What is a hexose monosaccharide? Give two examples.

Answer 6

A monosaccharide with 6 carbons in the molecule. Examples are alpha-glucose and beta-glucose.

Question 7

Is the formation of a glycosidic bond a condensation or a hydrolysis reaction?

Answer 7

Condensation - a water molecule is eliminated.

Question 8

What kind of bonds must be broken when digesting glycogen or starch, and what kind of reaction is this? (e.g. polysaccharides to monosaccharides…)

Answer 8

Glycosidic bonds! Breaking these is a hydrolysis reaction so requires water.