Polysaccharides
Polysaccharides
Polysaccharides
Department: BS – RIT
Section: C
Semester: II
Sap ID: 70150577
Subject: Biochemistry
Submitted to: Dr. Mahrukh Tauqeer
ASSIGNMENT # 02
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates are simple sugars which can be chemically defined as:
“Polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones which produce smaller units on hydrolysis”.
Types of Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates are generally divided into 4 categories:
Monosaccharides
Oligosaccharides
Polysaccharides
1. MONOSACCHARIDES:
Monosaccharides are the simplest form of carbohydrates. They
are known as the most basic unit of carbohydrates. They are defined as:
“Any carbohydrates (or sugars) that cannot be hydrolyzed any further to give simpler
sugars.”
Structure:
All monosaccharides consist of a carbon chain backbone, and each carbon
on that chain is bound to an oxygen, with either a single or double bond. On the
monosaccharide, there is only one carbon atom that has a double bond to the oxygen;
the remaining carbon atoms all have single bonds.
Isomerism in monosaccharides:
Monosaccharides show 2 types of isomerism, that
are:
Stereoisomerism in which isomers have the same molecular formula and the
same structural formula but differ in the spatial arrangement of the atoms in
the molecule.
Examples
Structural isomerism: Glucose and fructose have the same chemical formula C6H12O6,
but they differ in the organization of their atoms meaning that its atoms are actually bonded
together in a different order as follows:
Stereoisomerism: Glucose and galactose are stereoisomers of each other: their atoms are
bonded together in the same order, but they have a different 3D organization of atoms
around one of their asymmetric carbons as follows:
Properties of monosaccharides:
Examples:
1. Starch: It is found in fruits, grains, seeds, and tubers. It is the main source of
carbohydrates for animals. On hydrolysis, it yields glucose molecules. Starches are
of two types, amylose and amylopectin. Amylose starches have unbranched chains
of glucose and are soluble in hot water. Amylopectin starches have branched chains
and are insoluble in hot or cold water. Starches give blue color with iodine.
2. Glycogen: It is also called animal starch. It is the chief form of carbohydrate stored
in animal body. It is found abundantly in liver and muscles, though found in all
animal cells. It is insoluble in water, and gives red color with iodine. It also yields
glucose on hydrolysis.
3. Cellulose: It is the most abundant carbohydrate in nature. Cotton is the pure form
of cellulose. It is the main constituent of cell walls of plants and is highly insoluble
in water. On hydrolysis it also yields glucose molecules. It is not digested in the
human digestive tract. In the herbivores, it is digested because of micro-organisms
(bacteria, yeasts, protozoa) in their digestive tract. These micro-organisms secrete
an enzyme called cellulase for its digestion. Cellulose gives no color with iodine.