Carbohydrates: Monosaccharides, Disaccharides, and Polysaccharides

Vocabulary flashcards covering the definitions, structures, bond types, and examples of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides.

Monosaccharide

A carbohydrate made from a single sugar molecule that is often a ring structure and soluble in water, serving as an energy source and building block for larger molecules.

Disaccharide

A soluble carbohydrate consisting of 2 monosaccharide molecules linked together by a glycosidic bond, formed through a condensation reaction that eliminates a water molecule.

Condensation reaction

A chemical reaction where two monosaccharide molecules combine and a water molecule is eliminated to form a disaccharide.

Glycosidic bond

The covalent bond that links two monosaccharide molecules together in a disaccharide.

Maltose

A disaccharide with the chemical formula $C_{12}H_{22}O_{11}$, formed by combining Glucose + Glucose.

Sucrose

A disaccharide formed by combining Glucose + Fructose, commonly known as table sugar.

Lactose

A disaccharide formed by combining Glucose + Galactose, commonly found in milk.

Polysaccharide

A complex insoluble carbohydrate consisting of many monosaccharide molecules linked together, which can be made up of even $10,000$ simple sugar molecules linked together.

Starch

A storage polysaccharide consisting of many glucose molecules joined together that serves as the major food store in plants.

Glycogen

A storage polysaccharide consisting of many glucose molecules joined together that serves as the major food store in animals.

Storage polysaccharides

Polysaccharides composed of many glucose molecules joined together that function as food stores in living organisms, specifically starch in plants and glycogen in animals.