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ketone
Functions of Carbohydrates
Provide energy for life processes through metabolism
Are structural and protective materials for living organisms
Are precursors for biosynthesis of proteins, lipids and
nucleic acids
Are components of DNA & RNA
Are components of cell membranes that aid in cell
recognition and/or trigger physiological processes such as cell
growth, immune response and fertilization.
Stereoisomerism: the
monosaccharides contain
one or more chiral
carbons. Each
compound has an
enantiomer and each
pair of enantiomers is a
diastereomer of the
other stereoisomers.
The total number of
stereoisomers = 2n,
where n = # of chiral Cs
OH group is replaced by
Cell-Surface Carbohydrates
Polysaccharides are centrally involved in cellcell recognition how one type of cell distinguishes itself from another
Small polysaccharide chains, covalently bound by glycosidic links
to hydroxyl groups on proteins (glycoproteins), act as biochemical
markers on cell surfaces, determining such things as blood type
A) ketopentose B) aldopentose C)
ketotetrose D) aldotetrose
A)
B)
-D-glucopyranose
-D-glucopyranose
C)
D)
-D-fructofuranose
-D-fructofuranose
What are the structural differences between cellulose and starch, and of what
significance is this difference to humans?
Both are composed of glucose; however, cellulose is a linear molecule with
(14) glycosidic linkages, while starch is made up of two types of
molecules, amylose and amylopectin, both of which contain (14)
glycosidic linkages. Humans have the enzyme amylase which facilitates
complete digestion of starch to glucose, but humans do not possess
cellulase to cleave (14) linkages. Therefore, all cellulose passes out of
the body.