UNIT 1 AP BIO - Carbohydrates

Monosaccharides

The simplest form of carbohydrates, consisting of single sugar units (C, H, O in 1:2:1 ratio), with 3-7 carbons.

Disaccharides

Carbohydrates formed by the joining of two monosaccharides through a glycosidic linkage.

Polysaccharides

Long chains of monosaccharides linked together, often used for storage or structure.

Glycosidic linkage

A covalent bond formed between two monosaccharides during a dehydration synthesis reaction.

Starch

A polysaccharide that serves as an energy storage form in plants, consisting of α-glucose linked by 1-4 linkages.

Glycogen

A polysaccharide that serves as energy storage in animals, similar to starch but more branched.

Cellulose

A structural polysaccharide that makes up plant cell walls, composed of β-glucose linkages.

Chitin

A structural polysaccharide consisting of N-acetyl glucosamine subunits, found in the cell walls of fungi and the exoskeletons of arthropods.

Aldoses

Monosaccharides with an aldehyde group (C=O at the end of the carbon chain).

Ketoses

Monosaccharides with a ketone group (C=O in the middle of the carbon chain).

Alpha (α) glucose

A form of glucose where the hydroxyl group on C1 is below the plane of the ring.

Beta (β) glucose

A form of glucose where the hydroxyl group on C1 is above the plane of the ring.

Cyclization

The process by which straight-chain monosaccharides form ring structures in aqueous solutions.

Amylose

A form of starch that is a straight unbranched chain of glucose.

Amylopectin

A form of starch that consists of branched chains of glucose units, linked by α-1,4 and α-1,6 linkages.

Hydrogen bonding in cellulose

Hydrogen bonds between chains of cellulose create structural rigidity and form microfibrils.

Symbiotic microorganisms

Microorganisms that assist in the digestion of cellulose in the digestive systems of some animals.

Dehydration synthesis

A reaction in which two molecules are joined together with the removal of a water molecule, forming glycosidic linkages.

N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG)

A monomer unit of chitin that consists of glucose and a nitrogenous group.