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Distinguish among the following: monosaccharide, disaccharide, and polysaccharide. Describe two examples of each.

User Hllink
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Solution:

Monosaccharide:

Monosaccharides are the simplest carbohydrates. This means that they do not hydrolyze, or in other words, they do not break down into other simpler compounds. Its empirical formula is


(CH_2O)_n

now, two examples of these types of molecules would be:

1. The 5-carbon monosaccharides, also called pentoses. An example of this type of monosaccharides would be D-Ribose.

2. The 3-carbon monosaccharides, also called trioses. An example of this class of monosaccharides would be D-Glyceraldehyde.

Disaccharides and Polysaccharides:

The disaccharides and polysaccharides are all constructed from monosaccharides that are covalently bonded together by condensation reactions that form glycosidic linkages.

One such linkage between two monosaccharides forms a disaccharide and Polysaccharides are giant polymers of monosaccharides connected by glycosidic linkages.

Now, two examples of disaccharides would be:

1. a molecule of sucrose: formed from a glucose molecule and a

fructose molecule.

2. a molecule of lactose: formed from glucose and galactose.

On the other hand, two examples of polysaccharides would be:

1. Glycogen: a highly branched polysaccharide of glucose.

2. Cellulose is also a polysaccharide of glucose, but its individual monosaccharides are connected by β-glycosidic linkages.

User Chakrava
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