1.4 KiB
Macromolecules
General Overview
first thing to think of when hearing carbohydrates is sweet generally sweet and water soluable
primarly composed of carbon hydrogen and oxygen, general formula of C_xH_{2x}O_x, 1:2:1 ratio of carbon to hydrogen to oxygen
monomers are monosaccharides/simple sugars, polymers are polysaccharides/complex sugars.
Structure
most commonly found in ring like structures and used for quick energy or cell walls in plant cells
!
most monosaccharides look the same with small deviations
polysaccharides are long chains of monosaccharides binded together with glycosidic bonds, which is a covalent bond joining sugar with another group polysaccharides are differentiated by the orientation of the monomers
Function
!
in starch all the monomers are oriented in the same way, while in celluose they alternate
carbohydrates serve 2 purposes, quick energy and cell structure. the highlighted oh groups in the image are to show different purposes, in celluose they alternate because then they can stack on each other and create rigid cell walls. having the oh on the same side makes them not pack so tightly, making them easier to seperate into monomers
Summary
| Structure | Monomer / Polymer Name | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Ring-like. Contain C, H, O | Monosaccharide / Polysaccharide | 1) Energy storage 2) Make up cell walls |