module 7 Flashcards
what do the physiological roles of carbohydrates include?
-sources of energy
-energy storage
-structural roles
-cellular interaction
-cellular identification
-information transfer (DNA and RNA)
-signaling
what are carbohydrates?
-hydrates of carbon
-have empirical formula of (CH2O)n where n > or = 3 (usually 3-6)
-for each carbon, there is a water molecule
what are the two major classes of carbohydrates?
-aldoses (which have aldehyde groups)
-ketoses (which have ketone group)
what do most monosaccharides have multiple of?
-asymmetric carbons
what determines whether a sugar is D or L?
-the designation of a sugar as either D or L is based on the configuration of the chiral carbon most distant from the carbonyl oxygen
-the designation of D or L is relative to the reference molecule D-glyceraldehyde
how do you determine how many stereoisomers a sugar as?
-molecules with n chiral centers will have 2^n stereoisomers
-ex: 4 chiral center= 16 stereoisomers
3 chiral centers=8 stereoisomers
what are the categories of isomers within carbohydrates?
what are epimers?
-are sugars that differ at a single chiral center
in solution, longer carbohydrates (5 carbons and up)tend to be _________
CYCLIZED
formation of cyclized structures is the reaction of ______________?
formation of these cyclized structures is the result of a reaction of an internal alcohol (hydroxyl group) with either:
cyclized carbohydrates can be found in two ring forms:
what is the cyclization of glucose to glucopyranose? what is an anomeric carbon?
-cyclization of glucose involves the C5 hydroxyl and the C1 aldehyde
-cyclization renders C1 chiral, producing two stereoisomers, a and b
-the carbon that becomes chiral as a result of cyclization is the anomeric carbon
-the a and b forms are anomers of each other
what are a and b configurations?
cyclization produces a new chiral carbon at the anomeric carbon, resulting in two new stereoisomers
-a- hydroxyl of anomeric carbon is below the plane of the sugar
-b- hydroxyl of anomeric carbon is above the plane of the sugar
what is mutarotation? what is glucoses?
-in solution, the a and b configurations interconvert by a process called mutarotation
-occurs through a linear intermediate
-represents a change in configuration (break bonds)
-in solution, glucose tends to be 2/3 b glucopyranose, 1/3 a-glucopyranose and less than 1% linear
what is the cyclization of D-fructose to fructofuranose?
-cyclization of fructose involves the C5 hydroxyl and C2 ketone
-cyclization renders C2 chiral (anomeric carbon), producing a and b stereoisomers
what is the conversion of fructofuranose and fructopyranose?
-fructose exists in both pyran and furan rings
-b-fructopyranose, found in honey, is extremely sweet
-heating b-fructopyranose promotes its conversion to b-fructofuranose (which is less sweet)
-corn syrup, with high concentration of b-fructopyranose, is used to sweeten cold, but not hot drinks
what is the general about sugar derivatives?
-carbohydrates derivatives break from the empirical formula of (CH2O)n
-these derivatives can include nitrogen, phosphate, sulfur groups
-these modifications usually indicate specialized functions
what is myrosinase?
-some plants contain glucosinolate and the enzyme myrosinase
-myrosinase acts on glucosinolate to produce glucose and isothiocyanate (which has a sharp, bitter taste)
-myrosinase and glucosinolate are stored separately, but come together upon tissue damage (like being eaten)
-the bitter taste functions to discoourage herbivors from eating the plant
what are reducing agents of monosaccharides?
-linear forms of monosaccharides can be oxidized by mild oxidizing agents like iron and copper
-the carbonyl group is oxidized to a carboxyl group
-allows for quantifications of sugars present in blood and urine
-also defines the end of the sugar with the carboxyl carbon as being the reducing end
what is a glycosidic bond?
primary structural linkage in all polymers of monosaccharides (disaccharides)
-O-glycosidic bonds occur through oxygen
-N-glycosidic bonds occur through nitrogen