Laboratory Equipment, Monosaccharide Properties, and Carbohydrate Classification

Vocabulary flashcards covering common laboratory glassware and blood collection vials, stereochemistry of monosaccharides, and the structural classification and biological functions of carbohydrates.

Conical Flask with Screw Cap

A laboratory flask designed specifically for the preparation of volatile reagents.

Round Body, Round Bottom Flask

A spherical laboratory flask utilized when heating of reagents is required.

Micro Centrifuge Tube (Conical Bottom)

A centrifuge tube ($1.5\,\text{ml}$, $2\,\text{ml}$, or $5\,\text{ml}$) used specifically when the sediment of a sample needs to be collected and used.

Micro Centrifuge Tube (Round Bottom)

A centrifuge tube ($0.5\,\text{ml}$) used when the supernatant of a sample needs to be collected and used.

Purple Vial

A blood collection tube containing EDTA as an anticoagulant, used for hematological studies.

Grey Vial

A blood collection tube containing sodium fluoride, used for glucose estimation.

Serological Pipette

A graduated measuring pipette where graduation markings extend all the way down to the tip.

Mohr Pipette

A graduated measuring pipette where graduation markings end before reaching the tip.

Asymmetric (Chiral) Carbon

A carbon atom bonded to four different atoms or groups, responsible for the formation of different isomeric forms of organic molecules.

Stereoisomers

Organic molecules that share the same structural formula but differ in the spatial arrangement or configuration of functional groups around an asymmetric carbon atom.

Penultimate (Reference) Carbon

The asymmetric carbon atom located adjacent to the carbon carrying the primary alcohol group ($-\text{CH}_2\text{OH}$), used to determine $\text{D}$ or $\text{L}$ configuration.

$\text{D}$-Series and $\text{L}$-Series

Isomeric designations based on the position of the hydroxyl ($-\text{OH}$) group on the reference carbon: designated as $\text{D}$ if on the right-hand side, and $\text{L}$ if on the left-hand side.

Monosaccharide

The simplest unit of carbohydrate with the general formula $[\text{C}_n(\text{H}_2\text{O})_n]$ that cannot be further hydrolysed into simpler sugar units.

Disaccharide

A carbohydrate composed of two monosaccharide units joined by a glycosidic linkage formed via condensation with the loss of one water molecule.

Oligosaccharide

A carbohydrate that yields $2\text{ to }10$ (or $3\text{ to }10$) monosaccharide units upon hydrolysis.

Homopolysaccharide (Homoglycan)

A polysaccharide composed entirely of identical monosaccharide units, such as starch, glycogen, cellulose, and inulin.

Heteropolysaccharide (Heteroglycan)

A polysaccharide composed of two or more different types of monosaccharide units, such as heparin, hyaluronic acid, and chondroitin.

Chitin

A structural carbohydrate that forms the exoskeleton of insects.

Aminoglycans

Carbohydrate structural components that make up the cell walls of microorganisms.

Chondroitin

A carbohydrate component that constitutes the ground substance of connective tissue.