Discuss the structural differences between the polysaccharides celullose, starch, and glycogen...?
Polysaccharides are composed of longer chains of monosaccharide units bound together by glycosidic bonds. Their function in living organisms is usually either structure or storage related: - Starch (a polymer of glucose) is used as a storage polysaccharide in plants, being found in the form of both amylose and the branched amylopectin. In animals, the structurally similar glucose polymer is the more densely branched glycogen, sometimes called 'animal starch'. Glycogen's properties allow it to be metabolized more quickly, which suits the active lives of moving animals. - Cellulose is an examples of structural polysaccharides. It is used in the cell walls of plants and other organisms, and is claimed to be the most abundant organic molecule on earth.
What are the main differences between sugars and polysaccharides, including structure and examples?
Two types of sugars - monosaccharides (glucose) and disaccahrides (sucrose) If you join the right two monosaccharides by a condensation reaction you will get a disaccharide. Glucose + glucose will give you maltose. Glucose + fructose will give sucrose. More monosaccharides can be joined together in this way to form long branched or unbranched chains. These are the polysaccharides, like starch and cellulose. Sugars are soluble, easily transported and are a good source of energy Starch is insoluble but can be changed back into sugars, so it acts as an immobile energy reserve. Good for storage Cellulose is strong and relatively inert, so it makes an excellent building material for cell walls, stems etc. John H
What are the factors that influence the properties of polysaccharides?
A couple off the top of my head (organized by property):solubilitylong chain polysaccharides tend to not be very solubleshort chain polysaccharides, especially those with many very short branches (see “glycogen”) are far more solublestrengthlong chains and cross-linked polysaccharides tend to be stronger and you see them often used for rigid structure (see cellulose or chitin)short chains don’t last as long have more ends exposed. Most polysaccharides are most easily broken down at the more reactive ends than the middles. Fewer ends, slower to break down.oxygenation state / energy yieldsugar molecules have free R-OH and R=O functional groupsdepending on the oxidation state of the sugars making up the polysaccharide they can store different amounts of energy for use in cellular respiration. Highly reduced sugars can be more heavily oxidized for a greater energy payoff. (this is a gross oversimplification of the process)sugars with many short branches are better for energy consumption because a high surface area and exposed ends makes them easier to break apart.a fun less known one:acidity. The OH groups make sugars a weak acid, so some polysaccharides can be mildly reactive. The more surface area (smaller molecules with lots of branching, or fully dissolved glucose) the greater this effect. It can cause proteins to break down at high concentrations.
Characteristics of polysaccharides?
Polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates made up of monosaccharides. Glycosidic bonds hold the monosaccharides together. Storage polysaccharides are hefty energy reserves in organisms, such as glycogen in animals and starch in plants. They are stored in our liver to be converted to energy when needed in the future. They are made up of glucose and when energy is needed hydrolysis breaks the polysaccharides into these glucose molecules for use in cellular respiration. The liver converts glucose into glycogen. This polysaccharide is ideal for energy storage because its branched and large size make it insoluble and won't pass through cell membranes.
How do you mono, di, and polysaccharides differ in structures, and function? what are examples of them?
Saccharides are carbohydrates - molecules made up of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. Sugars, basically. A monosaccharide is a single carbohydrate molecule (the smallest possible being CH2O, but are also commonly found in a molecular ring structure, such as glucose. A disaccharide is simply two monosaccharide molecules covelently bound together. An example would be sucrose (table sugar), which is made from a glucose and fructose molecule bound together. The function of these simpler molecules in the body are as a source of energy. Your body can process glucose, for example to make ATP. Polysaccharides are longer chains of sugar molecules. These have many functions. An example is DNA, which is essentially a long chain of sugar molecules.
What properties of carbohydrates account for the large variety of polysaccharides that exist?
What properties of carbohydrates account for the large variety of polysaccharides that exist?What properties of carbohydrates account for the large variety of polysaccharides that exist?Large variety!Only several of them.Glycogen, starch, cellulose…
Polysaccharides & polypeptide?
The monomers that make up proteins have a diverse variety of functional groups attached to them. This allows for various combinations of different amino acids to form chains with different characteristics. As a result proteins assume complicated folding structures that polysaccharides do not. Ribosomal synthesis of proteins always leads to linear non-branching arrangements of amino acids. Polysaccharides on the other hand are made up of various sugars, but all these sugars have similar basic properties. The carbohydrate chains do not assume complex structures although they can branch. Although carbohydrates don't form complex tertiary structures their role is not limited to storage. Chains of sugars are important structurally and many proteins have sugars attached that function in cell recognition as well as contributing to the stability of the proteins.