Polymers of carbohydrates Flashcards
What are the 4 polymers of carbohydrates?
Cellulose, amylose, amylopectin, and glycogen
What is the function of cellulose?
Provides rigidity + strength to plant cell walls
What is the function of amylose + amylopectin?
Stores glucose in plants for respiration
What is the function of glycogen?
Stores glucose in animals (liver + muscles) for respiration
What are the types of bonds in cellulose?
Beta glucose, 1-4 glycosidic bonds
What are the types of bonds in amylose?
Alpha glucose, 1-4 glycosidic bonds
What are the types of bonds in amylopectin?
Alpha glucose, 1-4 and 1-6 glycosidic bonds
What are the types of bonds in glycogen?
Alpha glucose, 1-4 and 1-6 glycosidic bonds
What are the features of cellulose?
Unbranched straight chain, long + insoluble, flexible, unreactive, high strength + support to cell walls
What are the features of amylose?
Unbranched + coiled, compact for storage, insoluble (no effect on osmosis), large (cant cross cell membrane by simple diffusion)
What are the features of amylopectin?
Branched - more ends to break off for rapid hydrolysis, compact, large, insoluble
What are the features of glycogen?
Very branched, large, compact, insoluble
What do amylose + amylopectin make?
Starch
What is cellulose composed of?
- 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