Carbohydrates-Chemistry
Padmanaban V
Associate Professor
Department of Biochemistry
CMC, Vellore
Specific learning objectives
At the end of the lecture, you will be able to:
• Define and classify carbohydrates
• List the function of carbohydrates
• Explain what are glycosaminoglycans
Carbohydrates
• One of the major biomolecules
• Most abundant biomolecule on earth
• Carbohydrates are poly-hydroxy aldehydes or
ketones
Carbohydrates-Examples
Glucose
Fructose
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/DL-Fructose_num.svg/255px-DL-Fructose_num.svg.png
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohydrate#/media/File:D-glucose_color_coded.png
Functions of carbohydrates
• Fuel: Major source of fuel in our body e.g., glucose
• Storage form of energy: Functions as storage form of
energy e.g., glycogen
• Membranes: Combines with lipids and proteins to
form glycolipids and glycoproteins which are
important component of plasma membranes and
other membranes in cell
Functions of carbohydrates
• Nucleic acids: DNA and RNA contains carbohydrate
• Connective tissue: A type of carbohydrate called
glycosaminoglycan are important component of
connective tissue
Classification
Carbohydrates
Monosaccharides Disaccharides Oligosaccharides Polysaccharides
One unit Two units 3-9 units 10 or more units
Monosaccharides
• Mono + saccharides, saccharides mean sweet taste
from the Greek word sakchron
• Monosaccharides have a single unit of carbohydrate
i.e., they cannot be hydrolysed into simpler
carbohydrates
• Examples: Glucose, fructose
Classification of monosaccharides
Based on functional group:
Aldoses Ketoses
Functional group: Functional group:
Aldehyde Ketone
Example: Glucose Example: Fructose
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/DL-Fructose_num.svg/255px-DL-Fructose_num.svg.png
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohydrate#/media/File:D-glucose_color_coded.png
Classification of monosaccharides
• Based on number of carbons:
Triose (3 carbons): E.g., Glyceraldehyde
Tetrose (4 carbons): E.g., Erythrose
Pentose (5 carbons): E.g., Ribose
Hexose (6 carbons): E.g., Glucose, fructose
Heptose (7 carbons): E.g., Sedoheptulose
Glucose
• Most abundant carbohydrate in blood
• Major source of fuel for cells
• Decrease in glucose leads to a condition called
hypoglycemia
• Diabetes mellitus is a condition with high blood
glucose concentration
Fructose
• Fructose is present in fruit juices, honey, cane sugar
etc.
• Cells can use fructose as a fuel directly or after
converting it into glucose
Galactose
• Dietary source of galactose is from lactose present in
milk
• Galactose is utilized as fuel in cells after being
converted into glucose
• Galactose is synthesized in mammary glands for
production of lactose in milk
Disaccharides
• Disaccharides are formed by condensation of two
monosaccharide units joined together by a glycosidic
bond
• Hydrolysis of disaccharides yields two
monosaccharides
Example:
Sucrose – Glucose + Fructose
Lactose – Glucose + Galactose
Maltose – Glucose + Glucose
Sucrose
• Dietary source: Cane and beet sugar, sorghum and
some fruits and vegetables
• Broken down into glucose and fructose during
digestion
Sucrose : Glucose + Fructose
Lactose
• Dietary source: Milk
• During digestion it is broken down into glucose and
galactose
Lactose : Glucose + Galactose
Maltose
• It is formed during digestion of starch
• Also found in germinating seeds
Maltose : Glucose + Glucose
Polysaccharides
• 10 or more units of monosaccharides combines
together to produce polysaccharides
Classification:
1. Homopolysaccharides-made of repeating units of
same monosaccharide
2. Heteropolysaccharide-made of two or more
monosaccharide units
Homopolysaccharides
Examples:
• Starch
• Glycogen
• Cellulose
Starch
• Starch is formed by repeating units of glucose
• Storage form of carbohydrates in plants
• Most common source of dietary
carbohydrate in cereals, potatoes
and other vegetables
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Starchy-foods..jpg
Structure
• Starch consists of two components –amylose (10-
20%) and amylopectin(80%)
• Amylose is a non branching
structure
• Amylopectin is a branched
structure
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-df9ewVbTneU/UGu0AK2RfgI/AAAAAAAAAPI/QGNMUtp91D8/s1600/polysaccharides-structure.jpeg
Glycogen
• Homopolymer of glucose
• More branched than amylopectin
• Storage form of carbohydrates in animals
• Stored in liver and muscle
http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/glycogen.gif
Cellulose
• Homopolymer of glucose without branches
• Cellulose is the chief constituent of plant cell walls
• Humans lack enzymes to hydrolyze cellulose and so
cannot be digested
• Cellulose is a component of dietary fibre
• Main source in diet are vegetables, cereals
Heteropolysaccharides
• Glycosaminoglycans otherwise called
mucopolysaccharides are heteropolysaccharides
• They are formed by repeating units of amino sugars
and uronic acids
• They get attached to proteins to form proteoglycans
• Important components of extracellular matrix
Glycosaminoglycans
Examples
• Hyaluronic acid
• Heparin
• Chondratin sulphate
• Keratan sulphate
• Dermatan sulphate
Heparin
• Combination of glucosamine and iduronic acid
• Heparin is stored in mast cells and released into
surrounding tissue during injury
• Pharmacologically heparin is used as an
anticoagulant
Summary
• Carbohydrates are polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones
• Carbohydrates are classified into monosaccharides,
disaccharides and polysaccharides
• Carbohydrates have multiple functions such as fuel
source, storage form of energy, components of
membranes etc.
