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Carbohydrates and Monosaccharides, Based on Carbon Number: - Coggle Diagram
Carbohydrates and Monosaccharides
Monosaccharides
Definition: The simplest carbohydrate units, serving as fundamental building blocks for more complex carbohydrates.
General Formula: (CH2O)n, where n varies depending on the specific monosaccharide.
Common Examples
Glucose: The central molecule in metabolism.
Fructose: Naturally occurring in fruits, used as a sweetening agent.
Galactose: Component of lactose, found in dairy products.
Classification Criteria:
Trioses (C3, e.g., glyceraldehyde).
Tetroses (C4, e.g., erythrose).
Pentoses (C5, e.g., ribose, deoxyribose).
Hexoses (C6, e.g., glucose, fructose).
Based on Functional Group:
Aldoses: Contain an aldehyde (-CHO) functional group (e.g., glucose, galactose).
Ketoses: Contain a ketone (-C=O) functional group (e.g., fructose).
Disaccharides
Disaccharides
Definition: Formed via a condensation reaction between two monosaccharides, resulting in a glycosidic bond.
Common Disaccharides and Their Components:
Sucrose: Glucose + Fructose (table sugar, found in plants).
Lactose: Glucose + Galactose (milk sugar, broken down by lactase).
Maltose: Glucose + Glucose (produced during starch digestion)
Polysaccharides
Definition: High-molecular-weight carbohydrates composed of multiple monosaccharide units linked via glycosidic bonds.
Functional Categories:
Storage Polysaccharides: Serve as energy reserves.
Starch (plants): Composed of amylose and amylopectin.
Glycogen (animals): Highly branched, stored in liver and muscle tissues.
Structural Polysaccharides: Provide mechanical support.
Cellulose (plants): Major component of plant cell walls, indigestible by humans.
Chitin (fungi and arthropods): Structural component in fungal cell walls and exoskeletons.
Carbohydrates
Definition: Biomolecules composed of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) typically in a 1:2:1 molar ratio, serving as primary energy sources and structural components in living organisms.
Biological Functions:
Provide immediate and stored energy (e.g., glucose, glycogen).
Structural components in cell walls (e.g., cellulose, chitin).
Facilitate cell signaling and molecular recognition processes.
Classification
Classification
Monosaccharides: Single sugar units.
Disaccharides: Two covalently linked monosaccharides.
Polysaccharides: Long polymeric chains of monosaccharides.
Biological Significance of Carbohydrates
Serve as primary substrates for ATP synthesis via glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation.
Maintain homeostasis by regulating blood glucose levels.
Contribute to nucleic acid structure (e.g., ribose in RNA, deoxyribose in DNA).
Facilitate cell-cell communication and immune responses through glycoproteins and glycolipids.
Based on Carbon Number: