Carbohydrates 2: Polysaccharides 1A.3

Question 1

Polysaccharide properties

Answer 1

-Variable
-Branched or unbranched
-Straight or coiled
-folded, ideal for energy storage

Question 2

How is polysaccharide is ideal for energy storage?

Answer 2

-form compact molecules which take up less space.
-they are chemically and physically inactive, so they do not interfere with other cell functions of the cell
-they are insoluble in water, so have almost no effect on water potential within cell and cause no osmotic movements

Question 3

Starch

Answer 3

-made up of many alpha glucose residues linked by glycosidic bond
-starch is a mixture of 2 compounds: AMYLOSE and AMYLOPECTIN

Question 4

what is the starch function?

Answer 4

energy storage molecule in plant cells

Question 5

Structure of amlylose

Answer 5

-unbranched
-1,4 glycosidic bond
-alpha glucose
helix chain, stabilised by hydrogen bonds within molecule

Question 6

Structure of amylopectine

Answer 6

-branched
-alpha glucose
-1,6 glycosidic bond and 1,4 glycosidic bond
-terminal glucose molecule