BIO152H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Glycosidic Bond, Alternative Algebra, Covalent Bond
Document Summary
The presence of a carbonyl group (c=o) along with multiple hydroxyl groups provides an array of functional groups in sugars. Number of carbon atoms present also varies in monosaccharides. Monosaccharides can vary in the spatial arrangement of their atoms. Simple sugars polymerize when a condensation reaction occurs between two hydroxyl groups, resulting in a covalent bond called a glycosidic linkage. Location and geometry of glycosidic linkages can vary widely. Structural polysaccharides usually exist as sets of long, parallel strands that are linked to each other. This design gives materials that are made of these molecules the ability to withstand forces that pull or push on them what an engineer would call tension and compression. In this way, the structure and function of structural polysaccharides are correlated. Functions of carbs: carbohydrates as structural molecules- cellulose (cell wall), chitin (structural support in cell walls of fungi and external skeletons of insects and crustaceans), peptidoglycan (structural support in bacterial cell walls).
