Carbohydrates 2: Energy Storage and Structural Units Flashcards
What is formed when two alpha-glucose monomers are joined by a glycosidic bond?
A disaccharide called maltose
Which type of glucose can humans and plants break down and respire - alpha or beta?
Alpha-glucose
What do the polysaccharides amylose and amylopectin make up?
Starch! Starch consists of long straight chains of amylose and branched amylopectin molecules. Both are polysaccharides of alpha-glucose.
What type of organism is starch found in, and what is its function?
Plants! Its function is energy storage, so it is a store of glucose.
Glycogen is the energy storage polysaccharide in plants. What is its structure, and why does this aid its function?
Its a branched polysaccharide of alpha-glucose, and this aids its function as it allows quick glucose release, and makes the molecule compact which is good for storage.
What is the monomer that makes up cellulose molecules?
Beta-glucose.
What kind of bonds form between cellulose molecules to form the strong microfibrils that provide structural strength to plant cell walls?
Hydrogen bonds.
