Page 1 Flashcards
1
Q
What type of bonds does the oxygen atom form between glucose rings in cellulose?
A
A: Two equatorial bonds.
2
Q
What type of bonds does the oxygen atom form between glucose rings in starch?
A
A: One equatorial and one axial bond.
3
Q
Why can humans metabolize starch but not cellulose?
A
A: Humans can metabolize starch because of its stereochemistry, but cannot digest cellulose due to the difference in the arrangement of bonds (equatorial in cellulose vs. one axial and one equatorial in starch).
