10: alcohols and sugar

Monosaccharides

Monomer carbohydrates that can be by themselves; simple sugars. Examples include glucose and fructose.

Disaccharides

Formed by the joining of two monosaccharides; examples include sucrose (glucose + fructose) and lactose.

Polysaccharides

Carbohydrates containing multiple monosaccharide units; examples include starches and cellulose.

Glucose

A monosaccharide, not sweet, that is the immediate product of photosynthesis and used to generate ATP.

Fructose

A sweet monosaccharide found concentrated in fruits, made from the conversion of glucose.

Sucrose

A disaccharide made of glucose and fructose; the primary form of sugar transported in plants.

Starches

Polysaccharides that store glucose for later use by the plant, providing long-term energy storage.

Cellulose

A polysaccharide incorporated into plant cell walls, providing rigidity; not digestible by animals without microbial help.

Sugar Cane

Family: Poaceae (grass family)

History: A sugar-producing crop native to Eastern Asia, domesticated around 8,000 BC. Columbus brought sugar cane seedlings to Hispaniola in 1493. Crucial to the Caribbean plantation economy and the Atlantic slave trade.
Processing: Juice is extracted and boiled to make crystallized sugar
Economy: India is the largest producer and Brazil is the largest exporter

Sugar Beet

Family: Amaranthaceae (amaranth family)

History: A sugar-producing crop from Europe, bred in the late 1700s, with processing linked to the Napoleonic wars.

Processing: Sugar is extracted from the roots, which are 20% sucrose

Culture and Economy: About 20% of the world’s sucrose comes from beets and helped Europe become less reliant on imported cane sugar

Sugar Maple

History: A tree native to eastern North America, traditionally tapped for syrup, significant in Native American and colonial diets.

Processing: tree is tapped in early spring and sap is boiled

Agave

History: A plant native to Mexico and the American southwest used to produce agave nectar, traditionally important in Mesoamerican cultures. High fructose content

Processing: comes from the juice of pressed stems and is boiled into agave nectar

Maize

History: native to Mexico. supported the ancient civilizations of Middle and South America.

Processing: corn syrup is made by breaking down starches from corn into glucose

Culture and Economy: most important crop plant in the US

High-Fructose Corn Syrup

A sweetener made by converting corn starch into glucose and then fructose, commonly used in processed foods.

Economic role of Ethanol

supports corn farmers and provides an alternative fuel source for the food industry, contributing to lower food prices.

Ethanol

A product of fermenting corn starch into alcohol, used in gasoline blends, supporting corn farmers and serving as an alternative fuel.

Economic role of High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup is a significant sweetener that benefits corn farmers economically and is widely used in processed foods, helping keep food prices lower.

Whiskey

An alcoholic beverage produced from distilled corn, important in the Midwest for local economies and historic protests.

process of making whiskey

corn starch is converted into sugar, then fermented into alcohol, and distilled into whisky.

whiskey rebellion

A series of protests and violent uprisings in the early 1790s against the whiskey tax imposed by the federal government, primarily involving farmers in the western frontier regions of the United States. Whiskey was an important economic product, especially in rural areas where transporting grain was harder than liquid

assess the argument that corn is now a means of converting sunlight into a versatile carbohydrate

• Corn converts sunlight into glucose via photosynthesis

• Glucose can then be converted into

  • Starches, HFCS, ethanol, corn oil, etc

• The versatility supports numerous industries including food, fuel, and alcohol

• Corn is also essential in industrial agriculture, especially in processed foods, but there are concerns about health impact

US Corn Subsidies

Government financial support for corn growers that keeps production high and prices low, benefiting HFCS and ethanol producers.

Sugar Price Protection

US policies like loans, import quotas, and tariffs that maintain high domestic sugar prices, protecting producers from international competition.

Processed Foods Diet

A diet influenced by overproduction of corn-based products and the prevalence of HFCS, leading to global market distortions.