Polymers of carbohydrates

Question 1

What are the 4 polymers of carbohydrates?

Answer 1

Cellulose, amylose, amylopectin, and glycogen

Question 2

What is the function of cellulose?

Answer 2

Provides rigidity + strength to plant cell walls

Question 3

What is the function of amylose + amylopectin?

Answer 3

Stores glucose in plants for respiration

Question 4

What is the function of glycogen?

Answer 4

Stores glucose in animals (liver + muscles) for respiration

Question 5

What are the types of bonds in cellulose?

Answer 5

Beta glucose, 1-4 glycosidic bonds

Question 6

What are the types of bonds in amylose?

Answer 6

Alpha glucose, 1-4 glycosidic bonds

Question 7

What are the types of bonds in amylopectin?

Answer 7

Alpha glucose, 1-4 and 1-6 glycosidic bonds

Question 8

What are the types of bonds in glycogen?

Answer 8

Alpha glucose, 1-4 and 1-6 glycosidic bonds

Question 9

What are the features of cellulose?

Answer 9

Unbranched straight chain, long + insoluble, flexible, unreactive, high strength + support to cell walls

Question 10

What are the features of amylose?

Answer 10

Unbranched + coiled, compact for storage, insoluble (no effect on osmosis), large (cant cross cell membrane by simple diffusion)

Question 11

What are the features of amylopectin?

Answer 11

Branched - more ends to break off for rapid hydrolysis, compact, large, insoluble

Question 12

What are the features of glycogen?

Answer 12

Very branched, large, compact, insoluble

Question 13

What do amylose + amylopectin make?

Answer 13

Starch

Question 14

What is cellulose composed of?

Answer 14

• Long chains of alternating beta glucose monomers joined by beta 1-4 glycosidic bonds
• These chains lie parallel to other cellulose chains + they form hydrogen bonds (called microfibrils)
• Microfibrils associate with other microfibrils to form fibrils