carbohydrates H.B.2A.1 Construct explanations of how the structures of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids (including DNA and RNA) are related to their functions in organisms.
Carbohydrates Are the most common type of organic compound Examples: Starch or sugar Is used to store energy Are built in repeating units to make a larger molecule Contain only carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
Monosaccharides A monosaccharide is a simple sugar such as fructose or glucose Glucose (C6H12O6) is used for energy by the cells of most organisms, and is a product of photosynthesis The general formula for a monosaccharide is: (CH2O)n where n can be any number greater than two. For example, in glucose n is 6, and the formula is: C6H12O6
disaccharide If two monosaccharides bond together, they form a carbohydrate called a disaccharide Example: Sucrose (table sugar) is made of two monosaccharides glucose and fructose Monosaccharides and disaccharides are called "simple" sugars They provide the major source of energy to living cells
Polysaccharides A polysaccharide is a complex carbohydrate that forms when simple sugars bind together in a chain. Polysaccharides may contain just a few simple sugars or thousands of them. Complex carbohydrates have two main functions: storing energy and forming structures of living things.
Examples of polysaccharides Name Function Example starch Used by plants to store energy A potato stores starch in underground tubers glycogen Used by animals to store energy. A human stores glycogen in liver cells cellulose Used by plants to form rigid walls around cells. Plants use cellulose for their cell walls. chitin Used by some animals to form an external skeleton. A housefly uses chitin for its exoskeleton
review What is a carbohydrate? List three facts about glucose. Assume that you are trying to identify an unknown organic molecule. It contains only carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and is found in the cell walls of a newly discovered plant species. What type of organic compound is it? Why? Compare and contrast the structures and functions of simple sugars and complex carbohydrates.