Monosacch

aride

Carbohydrate

Polysacchari
de

Disacchari
de

The building blocks of life

monosacharides

Organic
bases

Amino
acids

Fatty acids
and glycerols

proteins

Lipids

nucleotides

polysaccharides

Nucleic
acids

Carbohydrates
Contain the elements Carbon Hydrogen &
Oxygen
General formula Cx(H20)y

There are 3 types:

Monosaccharides
Disaccharides
Polysaccharides

Monosacharides
(SUGAR)
Structural formula: (CH2O)n
If n=3, triose (glyceraldehyde)
If n=5, pentose (fructose, ribose)
If n=6, hexose (glucose, galactose)

Stable ring structure

carbon atom no.1 join
to oxigen on carbon
atom no.5
Carbon atom no. 6 is
not part of the ring

C
C

Isomerism
They can exist as isomers:

& glucose look at to the hydroxyl (-OH) groups

Isomers: two forms of same chemicals

OH

OH

Roles of monosaccharides
Monosaccharides are used for
Energy
Building blocks for larger molecules

Disaccharides

Formed from two monosaccharides

Joined by a glycosidic bond
A condensation reaction:
glucose + glucose

glucose + galactose
glucose + fructose

maltose
lactose
sucrose

Condensation reaction
C
C

C
O

C
C

C
C

OH

OH

C
C

Condensation reaction
C
C

C
O

C
C

C
C

OH

OH

C
C

Condensation reaction
C
C

C
O

C
C

C
C

H2O

C
C

Condensation reaction
C
C

C
O

C
C1

C
C

4C
O

C
C

A disaccharide
1,4 glycosidic bond

Polysaccharides
Polymers formed from many

monosaccharides
Three important examples:
Starch
Glycogen
Cellulose

Starch
Insoluble store of glucose in plants
formed from two glucose polymers:
Amylose

Amylopectin

-glucose
1,4 glycosidic bonds
Straight structure

-glucose
1,4 and some 1,6 glycosidic bonds
Branched structure

Glycogen
Insoluble compact

store of glucose in
animals
-glucose units
1,4 and 1,6 glycosidic
bonds
Branched structure

Cellulose

O
O

Structural polysaccharide in

plants
-glucose
1,4 glycosidic bonds
H-bonds link adjacent chains

Carbohydrates
Made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.

monosaccharide
Single sugar molecule
General formula (CH2O)n
There are three types

Triose (3C)

Hexose
(6C)
Pentose
(5C)

Carbohydrate: monosaccharide

Structural

formulae for
the straightchain and
ring forms of
glucose.
Chain of

carbon atoms
in pentoses
and hexoses
can form a
stable ring
structure (C1
join with C5)

Source of
energy in
respiration

Roles of
Monosacch
aride
Building
blocks for
larger
molecules

Carbohydrate: disaccharide
1 monosaccharide + 1 monosaccharide =

disaccharide
A molecule of water is released
Two monosaccharides are joined together
to form disachharide in a process called
condensation.

An oxygen bridge is
formed between the 2
molecules to form a
disaccharide

Examples of
disaccharid
es

Colorimeter

Benedicts Reagent Test

Carbohydrate: polysaccharide
Not sugars
Polymers with monomers/subunits that

are monosaccharide.
Glucose is the main source of energy for
cells, it is stored in the form of
polysaccharide which is a convenient,
compact, inert and insoluble molecule.
1. Starch
2. Glycogen
3. Cellulose

Carb: Polysaccharide:
STARCH
Mixture of two substances amylose and

amylopectin.

Made up of many
1,4-linked -glucose,
but shorter and
branch out to the
sides. The branches
are formed by 1,6linkages

Condensation of
-glucose
molecules, forming
a long
unbranching chain
of 1,4-linked glucose

Amylose
Unbranched helical
chain

Amylopectin
Branched chain

Carb: Polysaccharide:
GLYCOGEN
Found in animal cells.
Used as a storage carbohydrate instead
of amylopectin.
Like amylopectin, glycogen is made up
of 1,4-linked -glucose with 1,6-linkages
forming branches.
Glycogen is more branched

Glycogen
The chains also coil

up into helical
structures, making
their final
structure more
compact (useful for
storage).

amylopectin - found in plants

glycogen - found in animals

glycogen has more glucose units than

amylopectin.

amylopectin - branches separated by 12 to

20 glucose units (less branched)

glycogen - branching occurs every 8 to 12
glucose units. (more branched)

Carb: Polysaccharide
CELLULOSE
The structural polysaccharide in plant cell
walls. Found in vegetables and fruits.
Polymer of -glucose units linked
together by 1,4-glycosidic bond.

The main difference between

cellulose and the other two
storage molecules you've seen
is that cellulose is a polymer of
beta-glucose, whereas the
other two are from alphaglucose.

 The hydroxyl group (-OH) in carbon 1 of glucose projects

above the ring. In order to form a 1,4-glycosidic bond with

the adjacent glucose (with the OH of carbon 4 below the
ring, one of these two glucose need to be upside down
relative to the other (i.e. 180)

Hence, in the polymer of glucose, the hydroxyl groups (OH) project outwards from each chain in all directions and
form hydrogen bonds with neighboring chains.
The cross-linking binds the chains rigidly together.

The -linkages make the chains straight unlike starch

glucose linkages which cause the chain to be curved.

Cellulose chain run parallel to one another. Unlike

amylopectin and glycogen molecules, there are no

side chains in cellulose.

This allows the linear chains to lie close

together.
Many hydrogen bonds are formed between

the hydroxyl groups on adjacent chains.

The chains group together to form

microfibrils which are arranged in

larger bundles to form macrofibrils.

The fibrils give plant cells high tensile strength and

rigidity (can withstand high osmotic pressure).

Provide support for plants by making the tissues rigid
and are responsible for cell expansion during growth
Arrangement of fibers around the cell helps to
determine the shape of the cell as it grows.
Cellulose fibrils are permeable to water and solutes.

Cellulose Fibers from Print Paper (SEM

x1,080).This image is copyright Dennis Kunkel
atwww.DennisKunkel.com, used with permission

Cellulose

Chitin - glucose monomers of chitin (N-acetyl

glucosamine) have a side chain containing nitrogen.

main component of thecell wallsoffungi,

theexoskeletonsofarthropodssuch
ascrustaceans(e.g.crabs,lobstersandshri
mps) andinsects.

Sugars, starches and cellulose are all examples

of carbohydrates. ___________ are white,
crystalline and sweet tasting solids which
__________ in water.
They can be classified according to the number
of _________ atoms present in the molecule.
Sucrose and maltose are formed when two
monosaccharides join together in a _______
reaction. The bond that forms between them is
called the __________ bond.
Sucrose is formed when a molecule of _______
bonds with a molecule of ________. Maltose is
formed from 2 molecules of _________.
Dissacharides can be converted back to
monosaccharides in a __________ reaction.