16: Carbohydrates and Their Functions

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to carbohydrates, their structures, and biological significance.

Glucose

A simple sugar that serves as a primary energy source for cells.

Cyclic Form

The ring structure of monosaccharides, as opposed to the linear form.

Chiral Carbon

A carbon atom that is attached to four different groups, creating non-superimposable mirror images.

Epimers

Sugars that differ in configuration around only one specific carbon atom.

Glycosidic Bond

A type of covalent bond that links sugars together; formed between an anomeric carbon and a hydroxyl group.

Aldonic Acid

Sugar acids derived from aldoses by oxidation of the aldehyde group.

Uronic Acid

A type of sugar acid that contains a carboxylic acid group created by oxidation of the terminal carbon of an aldose.

Hydrolysis Reaction

A chemical reaction involving the breaking of a bond in a molecule using water.

Polysaccharides

Carbohydrates that are formed by long chains of monosaccharide units.

Homopolysaccharides

Polysaccharides made up of the same type of monosaccharide.

Heteropolysaccharides

Polysaccharides made up of two or more different types of monosaccharides.

Cellulose

A polysaccharide that constitutes the primary structural component of plant cell walls.

Chitin

A polysaccharide composed of N-acetylglucosamine, found in the exoskeletons of arthropods and fungal cell walls.

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs)

Polysaccharides that consist of repeating disaccharide units, typically containing an amino sugar and a uronic acid.

Proteoglycans

Macromolecules consisting of a core protein with glycosaminoglycan chains attached.

Peptidoglycan

Complex macromolecule consisting of sugars and amino acids forming the bacterial cell wall.

Isopeptide Bond

A type of bond formed when a carboxylic acid of one amino acid connects to the side chain of another amino acid.

N-linked Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates that are attached to proteins via an amide bond with the nitrogen of asparagine.

O-linked Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates that are attached to proteins via glycosidic bonds with the oxygen of serine or threonine residues.