Carbohydrates - Monosaccharides

Lesson Objective: TBAT describe the structure

of monosaccharides and tests used to identify
them.

STARTER

On whiteboards, summarise
what you already know about
monosaccharides and
carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates - Monosaccharides
LEARNING OUTCOMES
B
R AL
L Identify different monosaccharides D l
o
o
C
M
A OS Describe what isomers are m
T -
i
n
G SO
ME
Explain the procedure used to test for monosaccharides C O
u
t
Construct models of the two types of glucose B c
ST o
RE
P TC m
H Miss Ladbrooke 9/12/2022 2 e
Introducing carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are a group of substances used as both energy sources
and structural materials in organisms.
All carbohydrates contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, with the
general formula: Cx(H2O)y.

There are three main groups of carbohydrates:

monosaccharides – these are simple sugars, with the general formula

(CH20)n, where n can be 3–7
disaccharides – these are ‘double sugars’, formed from two
monosaccharides
polysaccharides – these are large molecules formed from many
monosaccharides.
They are used as a source of energy in all organisms and as structural materials in
membranes, cell walls and the exoskeletons of many arthropods

All carbohydrates contain the elements carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O)
with the hydrogen and oxygen being present in a 2 : 1 ratio
THE GENERAL FORMULA OF A CARBOHYDRATE IS:

Cx(H2O)y
EXAMPLES

The formula for glucose is C6H12O6

The formula for sucrose is C12H22O11
 MONOSACCHARIDES
Monosaccharides are single sugar units that form the building blocks for
the larger carbohydrates

There are many different monosaccharides; they vary according to the number
of carbon atoms that they possess and in the way the atoms are arranged
in the molecules

Glucose, the main source of energy for most organisms, is a hexose sugar
with six carbon atoms and the formula C6H12O6

Glucose exists in both straight chain and ring form with rings forming when
glucose is dissolved in water
Glucose
Glucose is an abundant and very important monosaccharide. It contains six carbon
atoms so it is a hexose sugar. Its general formula is C6H12O6.
Glucose is the major energy source for most cells. It is highly soluble and is the main
form in which carbohydrates are transported around the body of animals.
The structure of glucose can be represented in different ways:

straight chain ring ring (simplified)

Miss Ladbrooke 9/12/2022 8
GLUCOSE
This straight chain representation of the glucose
molecule shows how the carbon atoms are
numbered
Glucose, in common with many other hexose sugars
has an aldehyde group as part of the structure

The carbon atom that forms part of this aldehyde

group is always carbon 1

The C = O carbonyl group has reducing properties

such that all monosaccharides are reducing sugars

The remainder of the molecule is a series of bonded

carbon atoms with attached hydrogen atoms and
hydroxyl (OH) groups
 In solution glucose exists in ring form

Glucose forms a
six-membered ring when
the hydroxyl group (OH)
on carbon 5 adds to the
aldehyde group on
carbon 1
The ring structure of glucose is usually represented in
Howarth projection
ISOMERS
Each hexose sugar exists in both alpha and beta forms

These ISOMERS can be distinguished by the arrangement of the

OH and H groups about the extreme right carbon atom IN the ring
Alpha and beta glucose
Glucose exists in different forms called structural isomers. Two common isomers are
alpha glucose and beta glucose.
6 6
5 5
alpha 4 1 4 1
beta
glucose glucose
3 2 3 2

The only difference between these two isomers is the position of the –OH group attached
to carbon 1. In alpha glucose it is below the carbon and in beta glucose it is above the
carbon.

This minor structural difference has a major effect on the biological roles of alpha and
beta glucose.
Fructose and galactose
Two other important hexose monosaccharides are fructose and galactose.

fructose galactose

Fructose is very soluble and is the main sugar in fruits and nectar. It is sweeter than
glucose.
Galactose is not as soluble as glucose and has an important role in the production
of glycolipids and glycoproteins.
Maltose, sucrose and lactose
Maltose (malt sugar) is
formed from two glucose
molecules joined by an
alpha 1–4 glycosidic bond.

Sucrose (table sugar) is

formed from glucose and
fructose joined by an
alpha 1–4 glycosidic bond.

Lactose (milk sugar) is

formed from galactose
and glucose joined by a
beta 1–4 glycosidic bond.
• All monosaccharides are reducing
sugars. When heated with blue
Benedicts reagent, they reduce the
blue Cu (II) compound to a red Cu (I)
compound.
Maltose, sucrose and lactose

Maltose is a reducing
sugar. The reducing
centre in glucose is on C1
Sucrose (table sugar) non
reducing sugar. The
reducing centre in fructose
is C2. Both are involved in
the glycosidic bond.
2
Pentoses
Pentose monosaccharides contain five carbon atoms. Like hexoses, pentoses are
long enough to form a ring.
Two important pentose molecules are the structural isomers ribose and
deoxyribose. These are important constituents of RNA and DNA.

5 5

4 1 4 1

3 2 3 2

ribose deoxyribose
The only difference between them is that ribose has one H atom and one –OH
group attached to carbon 2, whereas deoxyribose has 2 H atoms and no –OH
group.
Benedict’s test for reducing sugars