monosaccharides

Question 1

Monosaccharide

Answer 1

• small organic molecules, that are the building blocks for the larger carbohydrates.
• have the general formula - (CH20)n
• Triose sugar - 3 carbon atoms
• Pentose sugar - 5 carbon atoms
• Hexose sugar - 6 carbon atoms (e.g. glucose)

Question 2

Functions of a monosaccharide

Answer 2

• a source of energy in respiration.
  - C-H / C-C bonds are
  broken to realese energy,
  which is transformed to
  make ATP
• building blocks for larger molecules
  - glucose is used to make
  starch, glycogen, cellulose
  and chitin
• constituents of nucleotides
  - e.g. deoxyribose in DNA
  - e.g. ribose in RNA