Carbohydrates and Cellular Energy

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing carbohydrate types, chemical formulas, dehydration synthesis reactions, polysaccharides, and cellular energy production.

Empirical formula

The ratio of atoms in a molecule, much like the ratio of ingredients in baking.

Carbohydrate empirical formula

The chemical ratio of carbohydrates, where for every $1$ carbon atom, there are $2$ hydrogen atoms and $1$ oxygen atom.

Monosaccharides

The monomer of a carbohydrate.

6-carbon monosaccharides

Monosaccharides with the chemical formula $C_6H_{12}O_6$, including glucose, mannose, fructose, and inositol.

5-carbon monosaccharides

Monosaccharides with the chemical formula $C_5H_{10}O_5$, including ribose, xyclose, and arobrinose.

Deoxyribose

A modified ribose carbohydrate with the chemical formula $C_5H_{10}O_4$.

Isomers

Molecules that have the same chemical formula but have their atoms arranged differently.

Disaccharides

Carbohydrates formed when two monosaccharide monomers join together through dehydration synthesis.

Maltose

A disaccharide formed by $\text{glucose} + \text{glucose} \rightarrow \text{maltose} + H_2O$, catalyzed by the enzyme maltase.

Sucrose

A disaccharide formed by $\text{glucose} + \text{fructose} \rightarrow \text{sucrose} + H_2O$, catalyzed by the enzyme sucrase.

Lactose

A disaccharide formed by $\text{glucose} + \text{galactose} \rightarrow \text{lactose} + H_2O$, catalyzed by the enzyme lactase.

Oligosaccharides

Carbohydrate chains consisting of $3$ to $9$ saccharides bonded together.

Polysaccharides

Carbohydrates composed of $10$ or more saccharides bonded together.

Starch

A polysaccharide found in plants made from $\text{α}$ glucose, existing as spiral-shaped amylose or branched amylopectin.

Amylose

A spiral-shaped type of starch made from $\text{α}$ glucose.

Amylopectin

A branched type of starch made from $\text{α}$ glucose.

Glycogen

A polysaccharide found in animals, stored in the liver, made from a linear sequence of $\text{β}$ glucose.

Cellulose

A structural polysaccharide found in plants made from a linear sequence of $\text{β}$ glucose that humans cannot digest.

Glucose

A product of photosynthesis stored as starch in plants or used in cellular respiration.

Cellular Respiration

The metabolic process in mitochondria where glucose is used as an ingredient to produce ATP.

ATP (adenosine triphosphate)

The cellular energy currency needed for biological processes and reactions to move forward.

Dietary Fibre

Indigestible plant cell walls composed of cellulose.