Carbohydrates Flashcards
General formula of carbohydrates
(CH2O)n
How can carbohydrates be modified?
Addition of amino, sulphate and phosphate functional groups
What are monomers of carbohydrates called?
Monosaccharides
Three ways carbohydrate can be divided?
> no. of carbohydrate they contain (triose, pentose)
Shape - linear or ring
Size (mono, di, poly - saccharides)
Characteristics of glucose
> C6H12O6
Hexose
Most abundant sugar in the body and cellular fuel
Levels controlled by hormones (insulin, glucagon)
Digestion & absorption of glucose in the body
Polysaccharides -> dextrins & maltose (via salivary amylase) -> disaccharides (via pancreatic amylase) -> monosaccharides (via intestinal disaccharidases)
Transported via portal blood to the liver and stored as glycogen
Irregular blood sugars names
Hypoglycaemia - low
Hyperglycaemia - high
What might hyperglycaemia indicate?
Type 1, Type 2 or gestational diabetes
Irregularities may highlight deficiencies in insulin production or inability of insulin to act as it should
Homeostatic control of blood glucose levels
Hyperglycaemia - beta cells of pancreas increase insulin production - released into blood - facilitate cellular uptake of glucose & cause liver to convert glucose to glycogen - blood glucose levels decline to healthy amount
Hypoglycaemia - alpha cells in pancreas stimulated to increase production of glucagon and released into blood - liver breaks down glycogen into glucose and released into blood - blood glucose levels increase to a healthy level
Glucose specimen requirements
Plasma sample with sodium fluoride to prevent glycolysis (citrate buffer can also be used)
Fasting serum can be used for some tests when transported on slurry ice and serum separated fast to avoid glycolysis
Whole blood can be used for some tests within 30 minutes
The Reactions in the Folin-Wu Copper Reduction Method
Glucose + Cu^2+ = Cu2O (hot alkaline conditions)
Cu2O + phosphomolybic acid = Molybdenum Blue
Explain the Folin-Wu Copper Reduction Method
> Glucose under alkaline conditions reduces the cupric ions of the copper reagent to cuprous ions. Cuprous oxides react with phosphomolybdic acid to form molybdenum blue.
Intensity of molybdenum blue is directly proportional to concentration of glucose - spectrophotometer @ 420nm
Uric acid, creatinine, & sulphydryl compounds may cause positive interference - also reduce cupric ions
Explain the Folin-Wu Copper Reduction Method
> Glucose under alkaline conditions reduces the cupric ions of the copper reagent to cuprous ions. Cuprous oxides react with phosphomolybdic acid to form molybdenum blue.
Intensity of molybdenum blue is directly proportional to concentration of glucose - spectrophotometer @ 420nm
Uric acid, creatinine, & sulphydryl compounds may cause positive interference - also reduce cupric ions
Name a redox method of testing glucose?
Folin-Wu Copper Reduction Method
Name 2 enzymatic reactions used to measure glucose concentration
Hexokinase method and glucose oxidase method