Question

Bacteria, insects, and plants use carbohydrates to build structures. Which of the following is true of structural carbohydrates?

A. Different types of pentose monomers form the basis of all carbohydrate-based structures.
B. Structural carbohydrates show a high degree of branching.
C. All structural carbohydrates are made from the same monomer, α-glucose.
D. Structural carbohydrates are long strands, which are chemically linked into a network.

Answer 1

Structural carbohydrates are long chains of monosaccharides linked into a network, providing support and protection, as seen in cellulose and chitin, and the correct answer is D.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer to the question about structural carbohydrates is D. Structural carbohydrates are long strands, which are chemically linked into a network. This is exemplified by cellulose, which consists of long chains of glucose molecules linked into tough, fibrous sheets. Other structural carbohydrates include chitin in arthropods and peptidoglycans in bacterial cell walls. These structures provide support and protection for cells and organisms. Unlike certain other biological polymers which show a high degree of branching like glycogen and starch, structural carbohydrates like cellulose and chitin form long, unbranched chains that are connected through various types of bonds, such as hydrogen bonds, to create a sturdy structure.