Question

Explain the relationship between sugars (glucose) and starches (carbohydrates). Use the terms, monomer and polymer, in your explanation.

Answer 1

Sugars such as glucose fructose and galactose are monomers (monosaccharides) consisting of a single sugar molecule. Two Sugar molecules condense together to form dissacharides which are essentially short chain polymers consisting of two sugar molecules. Examples would be maltose, lactose and sucrose. Starches such as carbohydrates are formed with monosaccharides condense to form a long chain molecule and hence is essentially a polymer.

Answer 2

Glucose is a monosaccharide, a monomer. Monomers combine t form polymers. Monosaccharide units combine to form polysaccharides or carbohydrates. Monosaccharide units polymerize through the glycosidic linkages to form carbohydrates. Starch is a polymer of glucose that is commonly found in plants. Starch is either found as amylase or amylopectin. Amylose is formed when α-Dglucose polymerizes through α(1→4) glycosidic linkage. Amylopectin is a branched polymer of α-glucose.