This document provides an overview of carbohydrates:
- Carbohydrates are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. They function to provide energy and act as structural materials. The basic units are sugars.
- The main types of sugars are monosaccharides like glucose and fructose, disaccharides like sucrose, and polysaccharides like starch and cellulose.
- Polysaccharides are polymers of sugars that provide efficient energy storage in plants and animals. Starch and glycogen are examples of branched polysaccharides for energy storage, while cellulose provides structure in plants.
3. AP Biology
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are composed of C, H, O
carbo - hydr - ate
CH2O
(CH2O)x C6H12O6
Function:
energy energy storage
raw materials structural
materials
Monomer: sugars
ex: sugars, starches, cellulose
sugar sugar sugar sugar sugar sugar sugar
sugar
C6H12O6
(CH2O)x
4. AP Biology
Sugars
Most names for sugars end in -ose
Classified by number of carbons
6C = hexose (glucose)
5C = pentose (ribose)
3C = triose (glyceraldehyde)
OH
OH
H
H
HO
CH2OH
H
H
H
OH
O
Glucose
H
OH
HO
O H
H
HO
H
Ribose
CH2OH
Glyceraldehyde
H
H
H
H
OH
OH
O
C
C
C
6 5 3
8. AP Biology
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Simple & complex sugars
Monosaccharides
simple 1 monomer sugars
glucose
Disaccharides
2 monomers
sucrose
Polysaccharides
large polymers
starch
OH
OH
H
H
HO
CH2OH
H
H
H
OH
O
Glucose
9. AP Biology
Building sugars
Dehydration synthesis
glycosidic linkage
|
glucose
|
glucose
monosaccharides disaccharide
|
maltose
H2O
10. AP Biology
Building sugars
Dehydration synthesis
|
fructose
|
glucose
monosaccharides
|
sucrose
(table sugar)
disaccharide
Let’s go to the
videotape!
H2O
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
11. AP Biology
Polysaccharides
Polymers of sugars
costs little energy to build
easily reversible = release energy
Function:
energy storage
starch (plants)
glycogen (animals)
in liver & muscles
structure
cellulose (plants)
chitin (arthropods & fungi)
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
12. AP Biology
Linear vs. branched polysaccharides
starch
(plant)
glycogen
(animal)
energy
storage
What does
branching do?
Let’s go to the
videotape!
slow release
fast release
13. AP Biology
Polysaccharide diversity
Molecular structure determines function
isomers of glucose
structure determines function…
in starch in cellulose
15. AP Biology
Cellulose
Most abundant organic
compound on Earth
herbivores have evolved a mechanism to
digest cellulose
most carnivores have not
that’s why they
eat meat to get
their energy &
nutrients
cellulose = undigestible roughage
But it tastes
like hay!
Who can live
on this stuff?!
16. Regents Biology
Cow
can digest cellulose well;
no need to eat other sugars
Gorilla
can’t digest cellulose well;
must add another sugar
source, like fruit to diet