The Structure and Function of Carbohydrates
Large biological molecules are called macromolecules, there are giant
molecules (polymers) made up of repeating units (monomers).
Carbohydrates are one of the main classes of biological molecules.
Macromolecule units (monomers) are joined together by condensation
reactions and hydrolysis reactions split macromolecules down into
their individual units. Carbohydrates are molecules that contain
elements of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Carbohydrates have a 2:1
hydrogen to oxygen ratio, there are twice as many hydrogen atoms as
oxygen atoms (the same proportion as in water). Carbohydrates are
categorised in three many groups:
Ø Monosaccharide – monomers and therefore contain single surgar.
Ø Disaccharide – contain double sugars.
Ø Polysaccharide – are large molecules containing many complex sugars.
The general formula for carbohydrates is Cx(H20)y.
Monosaccharides are white crystalline solids with low molecular mass
and sweet tasting. All monosaccharides are reducing sugars because
they all aldehydes. Different monosaccharides contain different number
of carbon atoms. There are three types of monosaccharides, trioses,
pentose and hexose. They generally contain three (trioses), five
(pentoses) or six (hexoses) carbon atoms. Triose is used as a product
in biochemical pathways of respiration and photosynthesis. An example
of pentoses is ribsomes and deoxyribsome. These sugars are found in
the nucleic acid of DNA and RNA. Examples of hexoses are glucose and
fructose. It is an important source of energy in respiration found in
many sweet tasting fruits. There are four different types of hexose
sugars. The slight differences in the way their atoms are arranged
give them slightly different properties. These are shown below:
α-glucose: β-glucose: Galatose: Fructose:
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The main function of monosaccharide is that they are able to move
through bodies, gut walls and therefore important as a source of
energy. All other carbohydrates have to be converted to
monosaccharides before energy can be released and its is due to itÂ’s
small size they are very soluble and it is the form of monosaccharides
that all carbohydrates are carried in the blood.
Would you expect glycogen to accumulate in the muscle of this patient? Why or why not? (5 points)
Glucose can be used directly by any cell in the body. It easily moves into the cell where it is directly burned for energy. No such luck with fructose. It must first be transported to the liver where a wide variety of things (none of them good) happen.
Homeostasis ensures that when blood sugar levels rise and fall, perhaps after a carbohydrate-rich meal or after a period of fasting, balance is restored so the body reaches equilibrium. This happens due to a negative feedback loop involving the liver, pancreas and the hormones insulin and glucagon. Monosaccharaides are essential for optimum body functioning. Their molecular size and solubility allows them to pass through a cell’s membrane to allow respiration. Once metabolised, glucose provides the cell with energy. Therefore, the homeostatic process is vital for effective
The Different Roles of Macromolecules in Biology There are four types of macromolecules that I am going to describe: Proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acid. I will also describe the functions and why they are important in our bodies. Proteins = == ==
Differentiating between fatty acids can be in two main ways: the length of free fatty acid chains and the fatty acids degree of saturation. The number of carbon atoms determine the length of fatty acid chains which often categorized as short chain fatty acids (SCFA), Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), Long-chain fatty acids (LCFA), and Very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA) with aliphatic tails longer than 22 carbons, while the number of double bonds between carbon atoms determine their degree of saturation. Fats can be categorized into saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Furthermore, the unsaturated fats divide into monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Fatty acid can be saturated if there are no double bonds
Carbon is essential to many basic biological functions. Carbon’s unique properties are what make this element the basis of all living matter. Carbon is also responsible for the creation of monomers, polymers, and macromolecules. Monomers are small, simple units of carbon that have been strung together to form larger polymers. Polymers are more complex molecules made from individual carbon monomers. Macromolecules are very large molecules made from carbon based chains, such as polymers. The four classes of macromolecules include carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. The creation of these very important macromolecules is caused by the properties of carbon. These properties include carbon’s ability to form four covalent bonds, carbon’s
By taking a Carbon Dioxide, rich substance and mixing it with a yeast, solution fermentation will occur, and then it could be determined if it is a good energy-producer. In this study glacatose, sucrose, glycine, glucose, and water were used to indicate how fast fermentation occurred. The overall result shows that monosaccharides in particular galactose and glucose were the best energy source for a cell.
= Carbohydrates' main function in the body is in respiration, a process. without which living creatures could not exist, they are perfect for this job as they oxidize very easily. Only 10% of any sugar can be active or in straight chain form at any one time, the other 90% of the sugars are tied up in a circular form of the sugar which ties up the active group of the sugar, hence preventing it from reacting. H [ IMAGE] Glucose in straight chain form - C
The person may not know that table sugar’s scientific name is sucrose. Sucrose is made up of two simple sugars: two parts fructose and two parts glucose. Fructose is what is found in fruits and vegetables and is mainly a caloric sweetener, hence high fructose corn syrup. Glucose is the main part of sucrose that contributes to bodily functions and gives off energy. Overall, sucrose is a carbohydrate (carb) or a main nutrient that is essential to the sustainability of life and after it is ingested, is broken down into the simple sugar that our bodies can use, glucose. Carbohydrates are an important part of the human diet; however, an excess in carbs or table sugars can negatively impact human health (“Background on Carbohydrates and
3. Benedict’s test, which uses Benedict’s reagent, (usually used to test for the presence of reducing sugars) will show up positive in the presence of all monosaccharaides and some disaccharides. The test will also show a positive in the presence of aldehydes and alpha-hydroxy-ketones. Benedict’s test is not positive for sucrose because the glycosidic bond between the fructose and the glucose (the two monosaccharaides making up sucrose) prevents the isomerization of glucose into aldehydes and fructose into alpha-hydroxy-ketones. Therefore sucrose is a non-reducing sugar and these do not react with Benedict’s reagent. Since the test is designed for use with monosaccharaides glucose gives a positive result, as it is one. In conclusion glucose is a monosaccharaide sugar while sucrose is a disaccharide made of two monosaccharaide sugars.
Carbohydrates - the main role of a carbohydrate is to provide energy, this is because they are the body's main source of fuel, which is needed for physical activity, brain and operation of the organs. All the tissues and cells in the body need carbs but not only that they are also important for intestinal health. Carbohydrates are biological molecules that contain carbon(c), hydrogen(H) and oxygen(O) atoms. Monosaccharides are the simplest unit of carbohydrates and the simplest form of sugar.
Carbohydrates make up the largest volume of daily food in the diet. Carbohydrates include sugars, starches, and dietary fiber. Carbohydrates are considered organic chemicals because they contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. They are considered a macronutrient because it needs to be consumed in large amounts in a diet which make up the majority of the diet in a day. Carbohydrates are important because they are the main source of calories for a healthy diet. How do carbohydrates affect sleep? Carbohydrates provide energy for physical activity, brain function, and operation of the organs. When carbohydrates are consumed, they are converted to fuel and used as energy. There are two types of carbohydrates known as simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are sugars that are made of one or two sugar molecules and are rapidly digested. Complex carbohydrates are dietary starches and made of sugar molecules that contain fiber. They are found in whole plant foods which are high in vitamin and minerals. The glycemic index is a “relative ranking on how they affect blood glucose levels.” (University of Sydney) Foods with a low glycemic index are more slowly digested, absorbed, and metabolize so the blood glucose rises more slowly. Foods with a high glycemic index are more quickly
The disaccharides were: maltose and sucrose. The monosaccharides: glucose, fructose and lactose. In the experiment, the amount of CO2 produced was recorded by a gas sensor over a period of fifteen minutes in a Nalgene bottle of 3mL yeast solution and 3mL of sugar solution. It was predicted that the disaccharide sugars would produce a higher rate of cellular respiration, however, this hypothesis was proven wrong during the experiment. The data revealed that glucose was the sugar that produced the largest amount of CO2 (236 ppm/min). It had 28.5ppm/min more than the second most efficient sugar fructose (208.3ppm/min), which is also a monosaccharide. The products of one molecule of glucose in glycolysis include six molecules of carbon, six molecules of water and energy molecules called ATP and NADP (Source
Complexity of compounds is the reason they must be absorbed long before the physical activity. Starch a main area of complex carbohydrates. It has several bonds. Starches are tightly bound carbon molecules and have several attaching elements. This bonding complexity is the reason starches are capable of retaining large amounts of energy. These compounds should be taken into an athlete's body prior to intense physical activity because an energy storage supply is necessary when simple compounds are completely oxidized.
For my research project I chose Molecular Gastronomy because I think it will benefit me in the future as I would like to be a chef. Molecular Gastronomy is the science that changes the chemical and physical appearance of food. I chose to research "To what extent is Molecular Gastronomy practical in the home kitchen". This was because I wanted to see if it was possible to recreate Molecular Gastronomy in the home kitchen and if it is really worth the trouble. The research methods I used were interviews, surveys, internet articles, books, you tube and experiments.