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Structure and Function of Biomolecules > Polysaccharides > Flashcards

Polysaccharides Flashcards

1
Q

What 5 traits create diversity in polysaccharides?

A 
Branching
Chain length 
Monosaccharide composition 
Glycosidic bond positions 
Anomeric carbon positions
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2
Q

What controls polysaccharide folding?

A

Steric constraints and H bonds

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3
Q

What are 3 functions of pollysaccharides?

A

Energy storage
Structural support
Ground substances - gels

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4
Q

What are the 3 energy storage polysaccharides found in nature?

A

Starch, glycogen, and glucans/dextrans

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5
Q

What are the 4 structural polysaccharides?

A

Cellulose, chitin, peptidoglycan, agar

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6
Q

What is starch?

A

The energy storage polysaccharide found in plants

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7
Q

What are the two types of starch?

A

Amylose and amylopectin

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8
Q

What is the structure of amylopectin?

A

Helical with a few branches and long chains. The chain monosaccharides are linked by alpha1-4 glycosidic bonds and the branches are alpha1-6

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9
Q

What is the structure of amylose?

A

Helical and linear and long chains. Glycosidic bonds are alpha1-4

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10
Q

Where are the reducing ends in starch?

A

All on one side

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11
Q

Why is branched starch a good thing?

A

Allows for efficient packing into granules and high density of stored glucose

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12
Q

What is glycogen?

A

Glucose storage polysaccharide in animals, fungi, and bacteria

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13
Q

What is the structure of glycogen?

A

Highly branched polymer. Chains have alpha1-4 linkages and branch points have alpha1-6 linkages

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14
Q

Why is it advantageous to store glucose as glycogen?

A

More compact and doesn’t increase the solute concentration of glucose in the cell, so no osmotic stress

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15
Q

Why is the branching of glycogen advantageous?

A

Many ends are available so lots of glucose can be liberated rapidly

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16
Q

What are 2 extracellular polysaccharides produced by bacteria?

A

Dextran and mutan

17
Q

What is the structure of dextran?

A

A glucose polymer with alpha1-6 linkages

18
Q

What is the structure of mutan?

A

Glucose polymer with alpha1-3 linkages that is branched. Is sticky and can withstand acid

19
Q

What is cellulose?

A

Unbranched glucose polymer that is a major structural component of plant cell walls. Packs into sheets and H bonds between the chains

20
Q

What type of linkage links glucose together in cellulose?

A

Beta1-4

21
Q

What is the structure of chitin?

A

Linear chains of beta1-4 N-acetylglucosamine

22
Q

What is peptidoglycan?

A

A heteropolysaccharide that makes up bacterial cell walls and protects the cell from osmotic stress

23
Q

What is the structure of peptidoglycan?

A

One N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) linked to an N-acetylmuramic (NAM) acid with a beta1-4 bond and cross linked by peptides

24
Q

What enzyme cleaves peptidoglycan?

A

Lysozyme

25
Q

What is agar?

A

A gelling polysaccharide which makes up the cell wall of marine algae

26
Q

What are the two types of agar?

A

Agarose and agaropectin

27
Q

What is the structure of agarose?

A

Long linear chain with beta1-4 linkages. The sugars are modified with an ether and a sulfite

28
Q

What is the structure of agaropectin?

A

Shorter, branched chains with beta1-4 linkages

29
Q

Is agarose or agaropectin better for making gels?

A

Agarose

30
Q

Is agarose or amylopectin better for making agar plates?

A

Agaropectin

31
Q

What are glycosaminoglycans?

A

Really important components of the extracellular matrix, as it makes up the gel and fills up a lot of space

32
Q

What is the general structure of a glycosaminoglycan?

A

Long chains of repeating disaccharide units - Hexosamine + uronic acid. Many are sulfated and have strong negative charges and extended helical chains

33
Q

What are the 2 monosaccharides that make up hyaluronate? How long is the chain? How charged is it?

A

GluA + GlcNAc. Huge chains, over 50 000 units. Least negatively charged out of all GAGs

34
Q

What does heparin do?

A

Prevents coagulation, is the most negatively charged out of all GAGs. Is polar and binds to water to make a gel

35
Q

Why are glycosaminoglycans in the extracellular matrix?

A

Fill up space really well and are metabolically cheap

36
Q

How are glycosaminoglycans usually found?

A

Usually as glycoconjugates. Only hyaluronate is found free

Structure and Function of Biomolecules (33 decks)

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