LOWER SIX PUSAT TUISYEN KASTURI PREPARED BY

BIOLOGY LESSON 2 T.K. LEONG

TOPIC: BASIC CHEMISTRY OF A CELL (2)

DISACCHARIDES
 They are formed when two monosaccharides, usually hexoses, combine by means of a
chemical reaction known as condensation.

 The bond formed between two monosaccharides as a result of condensation is called a

glycosidic bond and it normally forms between carbon atoms 1 and 4 of neighbouring
units (a 1,4 bond or 1,4 linkage).

 The monosaccharide units are called residues once they have been linked.
Example: maltose molecule contains two glucose residues.

 The most common disaccharides are maltose, lactose and sucrose.

(a)Maltose
Maltose occurs mainly as a breakdown product during digestion of starch by enzyme
called amylase. This commonly occurs in animals and in germinating seeds.

(b) Lactose
Lactose or milk sugar is found exclusively in milk and is an important energy source for
young mammals. It can only be digested slowly, so gives a slow steady release of energy.

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 (c) Sucrose
Sucrose or cane sugar is the most abundant disaccharide in nature. It is most commonly
found in plants, where it is transported in large quantities through phloem tissue.

POLYSACCHARIDES
 They function chiefly as food and energy storage (for example starch and glycogen) and
as structural materials (for example cellulose).

 They are convenient storage molecules for several reasons;

(i) Their large size makes them more or less insoluble in water.
(ii) Exert no osmotic or chemical influence in the cell.
(iii) They fold into compact shapes.
(iv) They are easily converted to sugars by hydrolysis when required.

Starch
 Starch is a polymer of α-glucose. It is a major fuel store in plants, but is absent in
animals where the equivalent is glycogen.

 Starch has two components, amylose and amylopectin.

 Amylose has a straight chain structure consisting of several thousand glucose residues
joined by 1,4-bonds. These bonds cause the chain to coil helically into a more compact
shape. (Amylose chain held by hydrogen bonds formed between hydroxyl groups)

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  Amylopectin is also compact as it has many branches, formed by 1,6-glycosidic bonds. It
has up to twice as many glucose residues as amylose. The linear chain of α-glucose
residues are held together by α-1,4-glycosidic bonds. Branches occur at intervals of
approximately 25 to 30 where α-1,6-glycosidic bonds occur.

 The amylose helices are entangled in the branches of amylopectin to form a complex
compact three dimensional starch molecule.

A suspension of amylose in water gives a blue-black colour with iodine-potassium iodide

solution, whereas a suspension of amylopectin gives a red-violet colour. This forms the
basic test of starch.

Cellulose
 Cellulose is a polymer of β-glucose.

 When two molecules of β-glucose line up, the –OH group on carbon atom 1 can only line
up alongside the –OH group on carbon atom 4 if one of the molecule is rotated at 180 to
the other.

 This is because the –OH group in carbon atom 1 projects below the ring and the –OH
group on carbon atom 4 projects above the ring. This rotation of successive residues is
the underlying reason why cellulose has a different structure to starch.

 It consists of long chain of glucose residues with about 10000 residues per chain. The
β-1,4 linkages make the chain straight.

 Hydroxyl group (-OH) projected outwards from each chain in all directions and form
hydrogen bonds with neighbouring chains.

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  The chains associate in group of about 60 to 70 to form microfibrils, which are arranged
in larger bundles to form macrofibrils.

The statement in the table below refers to the three polysaccharides molecules. Place a tick (√) in
the appropriate box if the statement is correct and a cross (Х) if the statement is incorrect.

Statement Starch Glycogen Cellulose

(a) Polymer of β-glucose
(b) α-1,4 and α-1,6 glycosidic
linkages present
(c) Unbranched chains only
(d) Structural function
(e) Energy store in plant cells
(f) Energy store in animal cells
(g) Soluble in water

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OBJECTIVES QUESTIONS
1. Lactose is a reducing sugar because
(a) It contains a glucose and a galactose
(b) It has a hydroxyl group
(c) It contains aldehydes group
(d) It cannot be crystallised in Benedict’s solution

2. Which of the following statements is true about the polysaccharides in living organisms?
Form storage compound Form supporting structures Provides energy
A. No Yes No
B. No Yes Yes
C. Yes Yes Yes
D. Yes No Yes

3. The main transport carbohydrate in plants is

A. Glucose
B. Fructose
C. Sucrose
D. Maltose

4. Which of the following statements about amylose and cellulose is true?

Amylose Cellulose
A. Β-1,4 glycosidic bond α-1,4 glycosidic bond
B. Α-1,4 glycosidic bond β-1,4 glycosidic bond
C. Water soluble Insoluble in water
D. Branched Unbranched

5. Which of the following statements is true about the property of water?

A. Large amount of energy is needed to increase its temperature
B. Its molecules are bound together mainly by ionic bonds
C. The highest density of water occurs below its freezing point
D. Water acts as a solvent for non-polar molecule.

6. The diagram below shows a type of monosaccharide.

Which of the following polymers can be formed from the condensation of the molecules shown
above?
I. Glycogen
II. Amylose
III. Amylopectin
IV. Starch

A. II and III
B. I, II and III
C. II, III and IV

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 D. I, II, III and IV
7. The diagram below shows a type of monosaccharide.

Which of the following polymers can be formed from the condensation of the molecule shown
above?
I. Cellulose
II. Amylose
III. Amylopectin
IV. Starch

A. I only
B. I, II and III
C. II, III and IV
D. I, II, III and IV

Question 8 and 9 are based on the diagram below, which shows a type of disaccharide.

8. Which of the following statements are true about the molecule shown above?
I. Has α-1,2 glycosidic bond
II. Has α-1,4 glycosidic bond
III. Formed from the condensation of two aldose sugars
IV. Formed from the condensation of one ketone and one aldose sugar.

A. I and III
B. I and IV
C. II and III
D. II and IV

9. Which combination of statements below is correct for the molecule shown above?
A. Reducing sugar soluble in water
B. Non reducing sugar soluble in water
C. Reducing sugar Insoluble in water
D. Non reducing sugar Insoluble in water

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Question 10 and 11 are based on the diagram below which shows a type of carbohydrate.

10. Which statements about the carbohydrate shown above are true?
I. Polymer made up of α-glucose units
II. Polymer made up of β-glucose units
III. Storage polysaccharide
IV. Structural component of cell

A. I and III
B. I and IV
C. II and III
D. II and IV

11. Which of the following statements about the carbohydrate shown above are correct?
I. Impermeable to water
II. Unbranched linear chains
III. Forms microfibrils
IV. Linked by β-1,4 glycosidic bonds

A. I and II
B. II and III
C. II, III and IV
D. I, II, III and IV

ESSAY QUESTIONS
Describe the structure of starch and cellulose. Explain how the structures of these molecules are related to
their functions.

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