Carbohydrates Flashcards
What is the difference between Mono- and polysaccharides in structure and function?
Monosaccharides have only one sugar unit and they serve as a basic energy structure for the body
Polysaccharides have multiple sugars and serve as a source of energy in plants and animals and structure in plants
What are the different types of isomers in monosaccharides?
Stereoisomers: Different 3D arrangement
Enantiomers: Mirror images that cannot be put on one another
Epimers: Differ at one carbon atom in the arrangement of atoms
Anomers: A special kind of stereoisomer that differs only at the anomeric carbon
How can you locate the Anomeric carbon?
It is the carbon that is attached to two oxygen atoms
How can one differentiate different types of glycosidic linkages (O or N)
O-Glycosidic linkage: A bond between the anomeric carbon of one monosaccharide and the oxygen of a hydroxyl group on another molecule (sugar or otherwise).
N-Glycosidic linkage: A bond between the anomeric carbon of a sugar and the nitrogen of an amine group, as found in nucleotides (like in DNA and RNA).
How can you differentiate between Glycoproteins, Proteoglycans, and Mucins?
Glycoproteins: Protein Oligodendrocytes (Mostly protein)
Proteoglycans: Mostly carbohydrate with small amounts of protein
Mucins: Heavily glycosylated proteins (Half glycoproteins, Half Proteins)
What are the functions of Glycoproteins, Proteoglycans, and Mucins?
Glycoproteins: Mainly used in communication
Proteoglycans: Mainly used for the hydration of tissues
Mucins: Mucins provide lubrication and protection
Which amino acids are used for the attachment of carbohydrates to proteins?
N-linked Glycosylation: Attaches to asparagine (Asn)
O-linked Glycosylation: Attaches to serine (Ser) or threonine (Thr).
What do glycosyltransferases do?
Glycosyltransferases are enzymes that help attach sugar molecules to proteins or lipids.
How do glycosyltransferases determine blood type?
Glycosyltransferases place the sugars on blood cells that determine your blood type
Explain the concepts of Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). What are they? What makes them important?
The negative charge (either as a carboxylate or sulfate) attracts water molecules which helps the cartilage stay hydrated
The negative charge also reduces compression due to the charges not wanting to come close to one another
They are repeating units of a disaccharide amino sugar
How can you figure out whether a glucose molecule is alpha or beta?
Alpha: CH2OH and Anomic OH are on opposite sides
Beta: CH2OH and Anomic OH are BOTH on the same side
How can you figure out whether or not a sugar molecule is reducing or not?
If the molecule is reducing the anomic carbon will have a hemiacetal
If the molecule is not reducing the anomic carbon will have an acetal
