Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates

INTRODUCTION
A theme that we have seen and studied in this class is that a particular
form or
structure of a molecule plays a significant role in the function of that
molecule. Since we
are interested in the function of molecules. it helps to study their
structure. One of the
major classes of organic compounds found in cells are carbohydrates. These
carbohydrate
are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a ratio of 1:2:1 respectively
with a general
formula of X(CH2O)n. When the carbohydrates consists of one unit of sugar,
X=1, it is
called monosaccharide. If it consists of 2 units, X=2, the carbohydrate is
called
disaccharide. Carbohydrates made up of more than two units, X>2, are called
polysaccharides. Carbohydrates can also be branched or unbranched depending
on the
type of linkage. Those with alpha 1:4 linkages are linear or unbranched,
while those with
alpha 1:6 linkages are branched. Carbohydrates are necessary biomolecules
because they
play a role in energy metabolism as a source of potential chemical energy,
also they are
important building blocks for other biomolecules.
The word carbohydrate is very general, so in order to understand these
molecules
more precisely, we need to be able to identify more specific classifications.
Our
experiments try to accomplish this using three common bioassay tests. The
first, the
Benedict test, will test various compound for reducing sugars. All
six-carbon hexose
sugars are reducing car...

Carbohydrates

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