Monosaccharides

**Monosaccharides** are the monomers of carbohydrates.

**Isomers** - molecules with the same molecular formul but with their atoms in arranged in a different way. Examples of isomers are alpha and beta glucose.

**Hexose sugar** - a monosaccharide with six carbon atoms in each molecule, such as glucose.

**Disaccharides** are formed when two monosaccharides bond together.

**Glycosidic bond** - the bond that is formed when monosaccharides are joined together by condensation reactions. This bond is broken in hydrolysis reactions.


Above: A glycosidic bond being formed when two molecules of alpha glucose bind together. The disaccharide formed is called maltose.

| Glucose + … | Disaccharide formed |
|----|----|
| Glucose = | Maltose |
| Fructose = | Sucrose |
| Galactose = | Lactose |

The test for sugars is called the Benedict’s reagent.