structure of amylose & amylopectin Flashcards
1
Q
what structure does amylose have?
A
- an unbranched chain structure
2
Q
what does amylose comprise of?
A
- several thousand alpha glucose residues joined by alpha (1-4) glycosidic bonds
3
Q
what does the alpha (1-4) glycosidic bond do to amylose?
A
- it causes the amylose chain to coil helically into a more compact shape
4
Q
why do amylose form hydrogen bonds within the chain?
A
- as amylose coils into a helix, the hydroxyl groups project into the interior of the helix, forming hydrogen bonds within the chain
5
Q
does hydrogen bond cross-linking occur between amylose chains?
A
- no, amylose does not have any hydrogen bonds cross-linking the chains
6
Q
how many alpha glucose residues are there for every complete turn of the helix?
A
- 6!!
7
Q
what structure does amylopectin have?
A
- a branched chain structure
8
Q
where does the branched point occur in amylopectin?
A
- once every 24-30 alpha glucose residues
9
Q
what type of glycosidic bond forms the branches on amylopectin?
A
- alpha (1-6) glycosidic bonds
10
Q
why is amylopectin compact?
A
- due to its highly branched structure
11
Q
why does the amylopectin chain coil into a helix?
A
- due to the presence of alpha (1-4) glycosidic bonds between the alpha glucose residues
