Carbohydrates Lecture Review

Flashcards covering the definitions, types, structures, and functions of carbohydrates including monosaccharides, disaccharides, and various polysaccharides.

What are carbohydrates primarily composed of?

Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms.

What is the general chemical formula for a carbohydrate?

CnH2O, where n is a whole number.

What are the two most basic types of carbohydrates?

Monosaccharides and disaccharides.

What are the simplest carbohydrates, also known as single sugars?

Monosaccharides.

What are monosaccharides containing five carbons called, and what are those containing six carbons called?

Pentoses (five carbons) and hexoses (six carbons).

Name two important pentoses and their association with nucleic acids.

Ribose (part of RNA) and deoxyribose (part of DNA).

Name three common hexoses.

Galactose, glucose, and fructose.

What are molecules with identical chemical formulas but different structures called?

Isomers.

What is an especially important role of glucose in living organisms?

It is broken down by enzymes to release energy, which is then stored in ATP, providing an energy source for cellular processes.

What are carbohydrates composed of two monosaccharides linked together called?

Disaccharides.

What type of reaction links monosaccharides together to form disaccharides?

Dehydration reactions.

What is the covalent bond formed between two sugar molecules by a dehydration reaction called?

A glycosidic bond.

Which familiar disaccharide is composed of glucose and fructose, and what is its role in plants?

Sucrose, which is the major transport form of sugar in plants.

What are long polymers formed when many monosaccharides are linked together called?

Polysaccharides.

Name the polysaccharide found in plant cells that is used for energy storage.

Starch.

Name the polysaccharide found in certain types of animal cells that is used for energy storage.

Glycogen.

Name the polysaccharide found in the cell walls of plant cells that provides structural support.

Cellulose.

Name the polysaccharide found in the cell walls of certain bacteria.

Peptidoglycans.

Name the tough, structural polysaccharide found in the cell walls of fungi and the exoskeletons of arthropods.

Chitin.

Name the polysaccharides found in connective tissue and surrounding cells in animals, like cartilage.

Glycosaminoglycans.

How does the high degree of branching in glycogen contribute to its solubility in animal tissues?

Extensive branching creates a more open structure, allowing many hydrophilic -OH groups to access water and hydrogen-bond with it.

What is the primary functional difference between starch/glycogen and cellulose/chitin/peptidoglycans/glycosaminoglycans?

Starch and glycogen primarily store energy, while cellulose, chitin, peptidoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans play structural roles.

Describe the arrangements in cellulose that give great strength to plant cell walls.

Cellulose has a linear arrangement of carbon-carbon bonds and no branching, allowing vast numbers of hydrogen bonds to form between parallel chains, which stack together in sheets.