CARBOHYDRATES Flashcards
4 types of carbohydrates
Monosaccharides
Disaccharides
Oligosaccharides
Polysaccharides
Monosaccharides description (function, characteristics)
-Small size
-Import/export from cells
-Move through body
-Building blocks to make biological molecules
-Most basic carbohydrates
-Simple sugar
-Easily transported by the circulatory system
-Easily transported across cell membranes
Examples of monosaccharides
Fructose, glucose, galactose
Disaccharides description (function, characteristics)
-Formed by linking 2 monosaccharides together
-Transported effectively due to smaller size
-Easily transported by circulatory system + phloem tissue
-Easily transported across cell membranes
Carbohydrates Ratio
1:2:1
C:H:O
Organic molecules
Carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen atoms
Examples of disaccharides
Lactose (milk sugar)
Sucrose
Maltose
Oligosaccharides description (function, characteristics)
-Formed by linking 3-20 monosaccharides together
-Cell to cell recognition + interaction
-Activating immunity
-Providing metabolic energy and building blocks for the mutualistic microbes in the intestines of nursing infants and adults
What type of carbohydrates serve as pharmaceuticals?
Oligosaccharides
Examples of oligosaccharides
Stachyose
Breast milk (around 200 oligosaccharides)
Which carbohydrate serves as a cancer diagnosis?
Oligosaccharide (glycoprotein)
Polysaccharides description (function, characteristics)
-Largest carbohydrates formed by bonding ≥ 30 monosaccharides together
-Polymers
-Storage of energy (glycogen in animals, starch in plants)
-Structural support (cellulose, chitin, hyaluronic acid)
Polysaccharides cont:
-Provide physical support and form hard durable structures
-Hyaluronic acid provides support + flexibility to connective tissue
-Cellulose
Cellulose
-A flexible metal cable that forms the plant cell wall
-Source of glucose for many herbivores
-Cellulase is the enzyme that digests cellulose
-Many herbivores form mutualisms with microbes that produce cellulase
How are the glucose molecules distributed to all cells in our bodies?
-The circulatory system delivers glucose throughout the body via the bloodstream
-Glucose, like all monosaccharides, is dissolvable
-Easily transported across cell membranes
How are the sucrose molecules distributed to all cells in the plant body?
Transport through the phloem tissue
Which types of carbohydrates can cross the cell membrane to enter and exit cells?
Monosaccharides, disaccharides
Why does mother’s milk contain oligosaccharides that the infant cannot digest?
-Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) give newborns multiple layers of protection
-Protect against pathogenic infections
-Promote the development of the intestine
-Help establish the gut microbiota
-Stimulate the maturation of the immune system
-HMOs positively influence the infant’s mucosal and systemic immunity
Where is glycogen stored in the human body?
-Liver cells; maintain blood glucose levels
-Muscle cell; provide energy for physical activity
Which plant storage polysaccharide is a primary source of our dietary calories?
-Starch
Which types of carbohydrates cause the sweet flavor sensation? Why is this sensation beneficial?
-Monosaccharides, disaccharides
-Quick energy
-Increase caloric intake
What bond is a source of metabolic energy?
The covalent bonds that bind carbon atoms to hydrogen atoms (makes ATP, then cellular respiration occurs)
What group makes carbohydrates water soluble?
The hydroxyl group (OH)
Carbohydrates dietary intake
~45-60% daily caloric intake
-Provide energy
-Molecular building blocks
