catbohydrates: structure, function and analysis

Question 1

What is the general formula for carbohydrates?

Answer 1

CnH2nOn or Cn(H2O)n.

Question 2

What are the two main types of monosaccharides based on the number of carbons?

Answer 2

Pentoses (C5H10O5) and Hexoses (C6H12O6).

Question 3

What are the two types of ring structures in monosaccharides?

Answer 3

Pyranose (6-membered ring) and Furanose (5-membered ring).

Question 4

Define a disaccharide and provide an example.

Answer 4

A carbohydrate with two sugar units connected by a glycosidic bond, e.g., sucrose.

Question 5

What are polysaccharides?

Answer 5

Carbohydrates made of 10 or more sugar units, e.g., amylose and cellulose.

Question 6

What is the difference between a homopolysaccharide and a heteropolysaccharide?

Answer 6

Homopolysaccharides contain one type of monosaccharide, while heteropolysaccharides contain two or more types.

Question 7

What is the primary carbohydrate used for energy transport in plants?

Answer 7

Sucrose.

Question 8

How does starch function in plants?

Answer 8

It acts as a long-term energy storage molecule.

Question 9

Name two roles of dietary fiber in human nutrition.

Answer 9

Aids colonic motility and serves as a substrate for gut microbiota.

Question 10

What is gelatinization in food production?

Answer 10

The process of breaking down starch granules using water, heat, and shear to improve texture.

Question 11

Name two products where non-starch polysaccharides are used to modify texture.

Answer 11

Ketchup and jelly.

Question 12

What is a common application of sugar alcohols like sorbitol in food?

Answer 12

They are used as sweeteners in sugar-free products.

Question 13

Where does the enzymatic breakdown of starch begin in the body?

Answer 13

In the oral cavity with salivary amylase.

Question 14

What happens to carbohydrates in the small bowel?

Answer 14

hey are broken down into monosaccharides and absorbed into the bloodstream.

Question 15

Why is carbohydrate analysis important?

Answer 15

For food labeling, quality control, and studying nutritional impacts.

Question 16

What are two methods for determining carbohydrate content?

Answer 16

Spectroscopy and enzymatic hydrolysis.

Question 17

How does refractive index measurement help in carbohydrate analysis?

Answer 17

It measures the bending of light in a solution to infer sugar content.

Question 18

What structural feature distinguishes amylose from cellulose?

Answer 18

Amylose has α(1–4) glycosidic linkages (helical structure), while cellulose has β(1–4) linkages (linear structure).

Question 19

What role do carbohydrates play in food production?

Answer 19

They influence texture, sweetness, and stability of food products.

Question 20

What are the two perspectives for analyzing total carbohydrates in food?

Answer 20

Quantitative (e.g., total sugar content) and descriptive (e.g., structure and composition).

Question 21

What tool can be used to measure the density of a sugar solution?

Answer 21

A hydrometer or densitometer.

Question 22

How can you separate carbohydrates from fats in food samples?

Answer 22

By using solvents like hexane.

Question 23

What is the purpose of using a refractometer in a lab session?

Answer 23

To measure the concentration of dissolved sugars in solutions.